The Pacific Garbage Patch

In the Pacific Ocean there is a big pile of rubbish just floating around.This is called the Pacific Garbage Patch.

We were set the task of trying to warn the community of whats happening to the Pacific and how we can stop it.

The patch extends over an indeterminate area, with estimates ranging very widely depending on the degree of plastic concentration used to define the affected area.

Our class are doing a 6 week investigation on the 2’500 rubber duckys that got spilled into the sea and ended up in the Pacific Garbage Patch.

The area is filled with tiny phytoplankton but few big fish or mammals. Due to its lack of large fish and gentle breezes, fishermen and­ s­ailors rarely travel through the gyre. But the area is filled with something besides plankton: trash, millions of pounds of it, most of it plastic. It’s the largest landfill in the world, and it floats in the middle of the ocean. The Pacific garbage patch is a result of our population growing and more plastic products being produced.Its a floating dumpster in the middle of the pacific with nearly 3 million tons of trash.The Patch is actually two separate patches one between hawaii and Japan, the other between Hawaii and California.Most of the rubbish comes from land the other from boats and large cargo ships which drop about  10 thousand steel containers of garbage into the sea each year. 90% of this watse is plastic.Plastic bags, Packaging material, bottles and fishing nets.80% of this waste drifts to the bottom of the ocean and the other 20% stays just below the surface or floats.This all washes up on our shores butting all our native wildlife at risk.Plastic is a huge risk to our marine life. Plastic isn’t biodegradable. Sunlight does slowly break down the waste into small pieces.Sadly this waste can be mistaken for food by marine life, Albatross are frequently found dead with their stomach full of bottle caps and other small fragments.Plastic bags are also found blocking the breathing passages of many sea animals.Old fishing nets and six pack bottle holders often get stuck around many animals.Plastic acts like a toxic chemical to all sea wildlife.

How long do we have to wait until the world realises that what they have done is irreversible.

I think that everybody needs to know about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and what its doing to our world.

By Hannah Sch

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