Chloe Zhang
Plastic gyres are a major problem that has gained global recognition. Plastic debris has been found in all ocean basins, ecosystems, habitats, and food webs, including seafood and sea salt. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located in the North Pacific Gyre, is the most well-known example of a gyre's tendency to accumulate trash. However, it is not the only garbage patch in the ocean, and researchers have discovered other areas of concentrated marine debris in the South Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic. These garbage patches are challenging to clean up due to their vast size and the microplastics that are difficult to remove. The plastic in these gyres poses health risks to marine animals, fish, and seabirds, impacting our ecosystems, health, and economies. With plastic consumption on the rise, urgent action is needed to address this pressing environmental issue.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Most famous example of a plastic gyre | Great Pacific Garbage Patch |
| Location of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch | North Pacific Gyre, between Hawaii and California |
| Size of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch | Twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France |
| Plastic entering the ocean each year | 1.15 to 2.41 million metric tonnes |
| Plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch | 75% attributable to offshore fishing activities, including fishing nets |
| Plastic debris in the ocean | Ubiquitous across all ocean basins, ecosystems, habitats, and food webs |
| Plastic debris impact on wildlife | Entanglement, ingestion, and transportation of non-native species |
| Plastic debris ingestion impact on wildlife | Takes up room in their stomachs, making them feel full and stopping them from eating real food |
| Plastic debris removal difficulty | Microplastics are smaller than a pencil eraser, constantly being mixed, and spread out, making them hard to remove |
| Plastic debris sources | Careless and improper waste disposal, including drains and illegal dumping |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic gyres are harmful to marine life
Secondly, plastic gyres pose entanglement risks for marine life. Animals can become entangled in plastic debris, such as fishing nets and packing bands, leading to injury and mortality. This is particularly detrimental to endangered species such as Hawaiian monk seals and Pacific loggerhead sea turtles, which are among the nearly 700 species affected by plastic entanglement.
Thirdly, plastic gyres can impact the behaviour and overall health of marine life. Chemicals attached to plastic debris, such as Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic (PBT) chemicals, are ingested by animals, potentially affecting their behaviour and overall health. Additionally, the presence of plastic in their habitats can disrupt natural behaviours and ecological balances.
Furthermore, plastic gyres contribute to the bioaccumulation of toxins in marine life. As plastics break down into smaller microplastics, they can be consumed by small organisms like plankton, transferring toxins up the food chain to larger fish, marine mammals, and eventually humans who consume seafood. This bioaccumulation of toxins can have detrimental effects on the health of marine ecosystems and humans alike.
Lastly, plastic gyres are persistent and challenging to remove. Once plastics enter a gyre, they are unlikely to leave until they degrade into microplastics. Microplastics are extremely difficult to detect and remove from the environment. As a result, the concentration of plastic in gyres continues to increase, posing an ever-growing threat to marine life.
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They are formed by wind, Earth's rotation, and landmasses
Plastic gyres are a major problem, impacting our ecosystems, health, and economies. Plastic debris is now found across all ocean basins, ecosystems, habitats, and food webs, including in seafood and sea salt.
The formation of these gyres is influenced by three key factors: global wind patterns, the Earth's rotation, and landmasses. Wind drags on the ocean surface, causing water to move in the direction the wind is blowing. The Earth's rotation, along with the Coriolis effect, then deflects or changes the direction of these wind-driven currents. In the Northern Hemisphere, the ocean currents are deflected to the right, in a clockwise motion, while in the Southern Hemisphere, they move to the left in a counterclockwise motion. This results in what is called an Ekman spiral, with deeper layers in the water column being deflected slightly less, creating a spiral pattern.
Landmasses play a crucial role in shaping the boundaries of gyres. For example, the South Pacific Gyre is bounded by the continents of Australia and South America, while the northern Indian Ocean Gyre is influenced by the Horn of Africa, Sri Lanka, the Indian subcontinent, and the Indonesian archipelago. The Coriolis effect, caused by the Earth's rotation, is responsible for the deflection of surface currents by about 45 degrees. This effect combines with wind patterns to create the circulating ocean currents that characterise gyres.
The combination of these forces, along with the Earth's shape and orbit, results in the formation of stable, predictable gyre currents. Gyres contribute to the "ocean conveyor belt," or thermohaline circulation, which is essential for regulating temperature, salinity, and nutrient flow throughout the ocean. However, the accumulation of plastic in these gyres has become a significant environmental concern, with plastic debris circulating for years and posing health risks to marine life.
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Plastic gyres are difficult to clean up
Secondly, the composition of the garbage patches poses a significant challenge. They are not just made up of large, easily visible pieces of plastic but also of tiny microplastics, measuring less than 5mm in size. These microplastics are not easily removable from the ocean and can be spread across a wide area, from the surface to the ocean floor. The small size of microplastics makes them difficult to collect, and they are constantly being mixed and moved by wind and water currents, making it hard to contain and remove them.
The remote locations of these garbage patches, often in the middle of the ocean, further complicate cleanup efforts. Their distance from land and human populations makes it harder to access the sites and conduct research. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, for example, is located between Hawaii and California, far from major population centres. This remoteness also means that scientists rarely get to witness first-hand the impacts of these garbage patches on marine life, making it more challenging to study and address the problem effectively.
Additionally, the sources of plastic pollution are diverse and widespread, making it challenging to prevent plastic from entering the gyres in the first place. Plastic pollution comes from various human activities, including improper waste disposal, flushing of plastic items down toilets, and plastic fibres released from clothing during washing. These plastics then enter the ocean through drains, rivers, and winds, making it difficult to control their entry points entirely.
Finally, the persistence of plastics in the marine environment contributes to the difficulty of cleanup. Plastics can remain in the gyres for years, breaking down slowly into smaller microplastics under the effects of sun, waves, and marine life. This means that even if some cleanup is achieved, the ongoing influx of plastic pollution will continue to fuel the problem unless debris is prevented from entering the ocean at its source.
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Plastic in gyres will impact ecosystems, health, and economies
Plastic in gyres will have a significant impact on ecosystems, health, and economies. The accumulation of plastic in five ocean gyres, known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch", poses a severe threat to the environment and various industries.
Impact on Ecosystems
The presence of plastic in gyres disrupts marine ecosystems in several ways. Firstly, marine life can become entangled in plastic debris, such as abandoned fishing nets, leading to injuries or even death. Plastic debris with loops, such as packing straps or plastic bag handles, can also ensnare wildlife. Additionally, marine animals may mistakenly ingest plastic, which can be harmful to their health and affect their feeding habits. Microplastics, in particular, can be consumed by small marine organisms, such as plankton, and eventually make their way up the food chain to humans. This has led to the presence of plastic in seafood and sea salt, impacting the food web. Furthermore, marine debris can facilitate the transport of non-native species across the ocean, disrupting native ecosystems.
Health Implications
Plastic pollution in gyres poses health risks to marine animals, fish, and seabirds. As plastic breaks down into smaller microplastics, it can be ingested by various marine organisms. These microplastics can absorb toxic chemicals present in the ocean, further contaminating the ecosystem and potentially affecting the health of organisms that consume them.
Economic Consequences
The economic impacts of plastic in gyres are significant. One key impact is on the fishing industry, as plastic pollution can contaminate seafood, leading to reduced fish stocks and potential losses for fisheries. Additionally, the presence of plastic in gyres can affect marine ecosystems, including algae, barnacles, and crabs, which are important for various industries. The cost of cleaning up plastic pollution is also substantial, requiring specialized technology and significant manpower.
Addressing the issue of plastic in gyres requires a combination of tackling the source of plastic pollution and cleaning up existing accumulation in the ocean. Governments and organizations are recognizing the severity of this problem and working towards solutions to mitigate the impacts on ecosystems, health, and economies.
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Plastic gyres are a result of improper waste disposal
The most famous example of a plastic gyre is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located in the North Pacific Gyre between Hawaii and California. This gyre is not an island of trash but rather a vast area where debris is spread across the surface and down to the ocean floor. The debris includes larger items like abandoned fishing nets and plastic bottles, as well as tiny microplastics smaller than 5mm in size. These microplastics are particularly concerning as they are difficult to remove due to their small size and constant movement.
The formation of plastic gyres, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is driven by three forces: global wind patterns, the Earth's rotation, and the presence of landmasses. The Coriolis effect, caused by the Earth's rotation, deflects the wind-driven currents by about 45 degrees. This results in clockwise circulation in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise circulation in the Southern Hemisphere. As a result, plastic debris accumulates in these gyres and persists for extended periods.
The impact of plastic gyres on marine life and ecosystems is significant. Marine animals, such as birds, fish, and mammals, ingest microplastics, which can contain toxic chemicals. These chemicals can then enter the food chain, affecting human health as well. Additionally, marine life can become entangled in plastic debris, such as ghost" fishing nets, leading to injury or death. The plastic debris also facilitates the transportation of non-native species, disrupting local ecosystems.
Preventing plastic waste from entering the ocean is crucial to addressing the problem of plastic gyres. While cleanup efforts are important, they are challenging and costly due to the vast areas and remote locations of these gyres. Therefore, a combination of tackling the source of plastic pollution and removing accumulated waste is necessary to mitigate the negative consequences of plastic gyres on our oceans and ecosystems.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic gyres are large systems of circulating ocean currents that collect marine debris, particularly plastic. There are five major ocean gyres that concentrate microplastics: the North Pacific Gyre, the South Pacific Gyre, the North Atlantic Gyre, the South Atlantic Gyre, and the Indian Ocean Gyre.
Plastic gyres are a problem because they negatively impact marine ecosystems, human health, and economies. Marine animals, such as fish, seabirds, and mammals, ingest microplastics, which can be harmful to their health and lead to death. Microplastics can also absorb toxic chemicals, further contaminating the environment and entering the food chain.
Plastics enter ocean gyres through improper waste disposal, including illegal dumping and flushing items down the drain. Once in the ocean, plastics are transported by currents and accumulate in gyres, where they persist for years.
Addressing plastic gyres requires a combination of source reduction and cleanup efforts. Preventing plastic debris from entering the ocean at the source is crucial, as cleanup alone cannot keep up with the constant influx of debris. However, cleanup technologies and methods are also necessary to remove existing plastic from gyres and reduce their environmental impact.
