Ways Your Garbage Affects the Ocean

In 1997, Charles Moore — surfer, scientific researcher, and sea captain was sailing through the Pacific and came upon an unusually large amount of trash that stretched on for miles. This was later on named as the Pacific Garbage Patch.

A staggering 7 billion pounds of non recyclable trash is produced each year ends up in a giant oceanic gyre. An oceanic gyre is a vortex of water where circulation goes in a circular motion, this keeps whatever comes in contact within it's area. Trash included.

The Great Pacific Garbage patch is about twice the size of Texas. In only the pacific ocean gyre alone, there is 7 million tons of trash. The Garbage Patches trash in some areas is up to 9 feet deep!

80% of plastic comes from land, and travels in the sea, and only 20% is from ships and oil platforms.

Scientists say this is the largest plastic dump in the world, including all of the dumps that are on land!

Research shows at least 267 species are affected worldwide by the garbage patch.

Plastic is killing more than 100,000 sea turtles and birds a year from ingestion and entanglement.

Scientific research from the Scrips Institution of Oceanography in California U.S. shows that 5 to 10% of the fish contain small pieces of plastic.

There are about 6 times more pieces of plastic than there are plankton in affected areas.

Chemicals in plastics are released into the water as well as the atmosphere. Fish easily become contaminated from the chemicals in the water. This is a direct link of how plastic chemicals enter the food chain.

In fact, not only do the toxins in plastic effect the ocean, but acting like sponges, they soak up other toxins from outside sources before entering the ocean. As these chemicals are ingested by animals in the ocean, this is not good for humans. We as humans ingest contaminated fish and mammals.

Me? You? We caused this.
Humans did the deed.
At the current growth rate, the garbage patch is expected to at least double within the next ten years!

1. Take Responsibility:
Set specific goals to reduce or eliminate your plastic waste generation.

2. Recycle:
Make sure to increase your recycling, as well as any and every trash that is recyclable. Especially plastic!

3. Clean up your Community:
There are many organizations out there that host volunteering events that involve cleaning trash out of wildlife habitats. Take some time out of your life to contribute to these events or that trash will eventually end up in the patch.