BiologyCoachOnlineBlog

On this Earth Day, 2016, we would like to highlight The Great Pacific garbage patch. The "patch" is an area located in the central North Pacific Ocean and is characterized by exceptionally high relative concentrations of pelagic plastics, chemical sludge and other debris that have been trapped by the currents of the North Pacific Gyre. It consists primarily of microscopic particles suspended in the upper water column.

Environmental scientists believe that The Great Pacific garbage patch formed gradually as a result of anthropogenic pollution gathered by the ocean currents forming the North Pacific Gyre. The gyre's rotational pattern draws in waste material from across the North Pacific Ocean, including coastal waters off North America and Japan. As material is captured in the currents, wind-driven surface currents gradually move floating debris toward the center, trapping it there.

The Great Pacific garbage patch has one of the highest levels known of plastic particulate suspended in the upper water column. Unlike organic debris, which biodegrades, the photodegraded plastic disintegrates into ever smaller pieces while remaining a polymer. Thus the plastic becomes small enough to be ingested by aquatic organisms that reside near the ocean's surface thereby entering the food chain.

On the microscopic level, the floating debris can absorb organic pollutants from seawater. When ingested, some of these are mistaken by the endocrine system as estradiol, causing hormone disruption in the affected animal. These toxin-containing plastic pieces are also eaten by jellyfish, which are then eaten by larger fish. Some of these fish are then consumed by humans, resulting in their ingestion of toxic chemicals. Studies are currently underway to determine how best to deal with the Great Pacific garbage patch. And now you know.