The Great Pacific Patch

Kelsie Bassett

Francisco ArandaAbel Escobedo

What Is It?A gyre of marine litter in the Central North

Pacific Ocean. The patch extends over an intermediate area, with estimates ranging very widely depending on the degree of plastic concentration used to define the affected area. This patch has extremely high concentrations of plastic, sludge and other debris.

A gyre is any large system of rotating ocean currents, involved with large wind movements.

Where is it happening

Deals with pollution in the Pacific Ocean.Waste from Japan and California end up in

the ocean and the island of Hawaii are affected by the pollution in the water

The National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) are involved in helping animals and cleaning up the Ocean.

The Convergence Zone

The Trash TalkThe ocean hosts 46,000 thousands pieces of

floating plastic (6 pounds of marine litter for every pound of plankton)

More than 200 billion pounds of plastic are produced in the world and 10% of it ends up in the ocean.

100,000 marine mammals are victimized by the pollution

The gyre effect causes trash to circulate and land onto an island which takes about 6 years to reach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoMF55QoIPk

Affects The increase of acidification in the water

slows down growth of coral reefs.Coral reefs: provide shoreline protection,

fisheries, yielp compounds that are important for medicine.

Shelter fish provide food, protect coastal dwellings (cures cancer, HIV, Cardio Diseases)

Endangered monk seals, sea turtles

Where your trash goes!

Midway IslandLocation: Northwest of Hawaii (28.12 N. -

177.22 W)Accessibility for airplanes and Large vesselsHousing, laboratories, and food services Large habitat for Albatrosses More than 20 species of seabirds; total of 2

million birds57 tons of new debris enters the island (1996

– 2008 a total of 610 tons)

What Can We Do???Clean up after ourselves and others. Set an

example of how we as humans, should treat the earth.

Have trash cans available throughout main streets.

Increase filtration in sewage systems.Strict regulations for polluters ($1000 fine)

and 24 hours of community service.

Work cited http://www.fws.gov/midway/ (Last updated:

February 8, 2012)http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/patch.html

(Revised August 04, 2011 )http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cnt

n_id=115481 (Last Updated: August 27, 2009)

http://sio.ucsd.edu/Expeditions/Seaplex/ (Last Updated: August 21, 2009)

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/garbagepatch.html (Revised November 17, 2011)