Chloe Zhang
There are at least five plastic garbage patches in the oceans, with the best-known patch being the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. These garbage patches are formed by human-caused collections of plastic and other debris, threatening marine life and contributing to climate change. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located in the North Pacific Ocean, has the highest density of marine debris and plastic, with floating plastic debris 180 times more than marine life. Other garbage patches include the North Atlantic Garbage Patch, the South Atlantic Garbage Patch, the South Pacific Garbage Patch, and the Indian Ocean Garbage Patch. These patches contain a range of plastic debris, from microplastics to larger objects, posing risks to marine animals and potentially impacting human health.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of patches | 5 |
| First discovered | 1997 |
| Locations | North Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, South Pacific |
| Size | Equivalent to France, Spain and Germany put together |
| Density | 4 particles per cubic meter |
| Weight | 79,000 tonnes |
| Area | 1.6 million square kilometers |
| Debris | Microplastics, chemical sludge, plastic lighters, toothbrushes, water bottles, pens, baby bottles, cell phones, plastic bags, nurdles, fishing nets, consumer goods, appliances |
| Impact | Marine life entanglement, ingestion, ghost fishing, damage to vessels, human health |
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What You'll Learn
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The GPGP is made up of microplastics, tiny bits of plastic that are often mistaken for food by marine animals. These microplastics are not always visible to the naked eye, and even satellite imagery cannot detect them. The patch can make the water look like a cloudy soup, with larger items such as fishing gear and shoes intermixed. The Ocean Cleanup, a group of scientists, has been working to clean up the patch since 2018. Their studies have found that 84% of the plastics in the GPGP contain at least one type of PBT (Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic) chemical, and that 900 species have encountered marine debris, with 92% of these interactions involving plastic.
The size of the patch is constantly changing due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents. On average, the patch orbits around 32°N and 145°W, with seasonal shifts in latitude and longitude. The patch covers an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers, an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France.
The impact of the GPGP on marine life is significant. Marine animals can become entangled in plastic debris, such as lost fishing nets, and may also ingest plastic, leading to malnutrition and health issues. Additionally, the plastic in the patch may contribute to the formation of "neopelagic communities," where coastal creatures compete with or consume open-ocean species.
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The North Pacific Garbage Patch
Contrary to public perception, the GPGP does not exist as giant islands of floating garbage. Instead, it is a widely dispersed area consisting primarily of suspended "fingernail-sized or smaller"—often microscopic—particles in the upper water column known as microplastics. These microplastics are smaller than a pencil eraser and are not immediately noticeable to the naked eye. While larger items like plastic bottles and nets may be present, it is possible to sail through some areas of the patch without seeing any debris at all.
The GPGP is far out in the middle of the ocean, making it difficult to study and remote for scientists to access. The patch is constantly moving with ocean currents and winds, making it challenging to determine its exact size. However, researchers from the Ocean Cleanup project estimated that it covers 1.6 million square kilometres (620,000 square miles), consisting of 45,000–129,000 metric tons of plastic. The patch has also been found to contain harmful Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic (PBT) chemicals, with 84% of the plastics in the GPGP containing at least one type of PBT chemical.
The GPGP has formed gradually over time as a result of ocean or marine pollution gathered by ocean currents. The North Pacific Gyre's rotational pattern draws in waste material from across the North Pacific, including coastal waters off North America and Japan. As waste is captured in the currents, wind-driven surface currents gradually move the debris towards the centre, trapping it. A 2018 study found that synthetic fishing nets made up nearly half the mass of the GPGP, with a 2022 study reporting that 75% to 86% of plastic pollution in the patch was from fishing and agriculture, with most identified emissions originating from Japan, China, South Korea, the US, and Taiwan.
The volume of plastic debris in the GPGP surpasses that of living organisms, threatening the local ecosystem and potentially impacting the global carbon cycle. Marine life can become entangled in the debris or ingest the plastic, leading to malnutrition and health issues. The presence of plastic debris also introduces new species that colonize the plastic and drift to this remote part of the ocean, leading to competition with endemic marine animals.
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The North Atlantic Garbage Patch
The garbage patch is primarily made up of microplastics, which are smaller than a pencil eraser and therefore not immediately noticeable to the naked eye. These tiny pieces of plastic are the result of larger pieces of plastic waste breaking down over time. The surface of the garbage patch consists of microplastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene, which are used to make common household items. Denser materials, such as the polyethylene terephthalate used to make soft drink and water bottles, are thought to exist beneath the surface of the ocean. However, these denser plastics are not observed in the North Atlantic Garbage Patch because current collection methods only capture surface microplastics.
The garbage patch poses a significant risk to wildlife and humans through plastic consumption and entanglement. Marine animals can easily ingest microplastics, which can make them feel full and stop them from eating real food. Lost fishing nets, known as "ghost" nets, can also trap or entangle marine animals. In addition, marine debris can transport non-native species from one place to another, disrupting ecosystems. While the impact of the garbage patch on human health is not yet fully understood, humans may be exposed to microplastics through seafood, sea salt, tap water, beer, and even honey.
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The South Atlantic Garbage Patch
The impact of the South Atlantic Garbage Patch on marine life is concerning. It is estimated that 900 species have encountered marine debris, and 92% of these interactions are with plastic. The plastic in the patch often contains harmful chemicals, with 84% of the samples containing at least one type of Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic (PBT) chemical. These chemicals have detrimental effects on the health and behaviour of marine animals, and there may also be potential impacts on human health through seafood and other sources.
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The Indian Ocean Garbage Patch
There are five plastic patches in the oceans, with the first one discovered in 1997 in the North Pacific. The Indian Ocean Garbage Patch, discovered in 2010, is a gyre of marine litter suspended in the upper water column of the central Indian Ocean. The patch does not appear as a continuous debris field, and the plastics in it break down into smaller particles and constituent polymers. The concentration of particle debris has been estimated to be approximately 10,000 particles per square kilometre.
The impact of the Indian Ocean Garbage Patch on marine life is significant. Marine animals may mistake microplastics for food, leading to malnutrition and health issues. The plastic debris also poses entanglement risks and can alter the behaviour, health, and existence of marine species. In addition, the garbage patch may cause damage to vessels and create navigation hazards, resulting in costly vessel damage.
While there is limited empirical data and research specifically on the Indian Ocean Garbage Patch, visual surveys have indicated higher litter densities in certain areas, such as the Strait of Malacca compared to the Bay of Bengal. Models and observations suggest the long-distance transport of macro-litter across the Indian Ocean, with some of this litter trapped in the gyre, forming the garbage patch. The interaction between climate change and marine litter further exacerbates the negative impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems.
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Frequently asked questions
There are at least five plastic garbage patches in the world.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the most famous garbage patch, is located in the North Pacific Gyre, halfway between Hawaii and California. The other four patches are located in the South Pacific Gyre, the North Atlantic Gyre, the South Atlantic Gyre, and the Indian Ocean Gyre.
Plastic garbage patches are made up of microplastics, such as microbeads and plastic fibers, that are often too small to be seen with the naked eye. They also contain larger items, such as fishing gear and plastic bottles, that break down into smaller pieces over time.
Plastic garbage patches form due to the natural accumulation of waste and debris in gyre systems of circulating ocean currents. These rotating currents, or gyres, draw in marine debris and cause it to concentrate in certain areas, creating the garbage patches.
