The World's Largest Dump: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

[one...two...tree 2,762]

In the central North Pacific, plastic outweighs surface zooplankton 6 to 1.

by Thomas M. Kostigen

I had never been so excited to see garbage in my life. I was actually giddy. After flying from Los Angeles to the Big Island of Hawaii, I hitched a ride on the research vessel Alguita as it did a shakedown cruise, readying to set sail to traverse the massive Eastern Garbage Patch, which lies between there and California. This rubbish-strewn patch floats within the North Pacific Gyre, the center of a series of currents several thousand miles wide that create a circular effect, ensnaring trash and debris. Around and around: bottles, plastic bags, fishnets, clothing, lighters, and myriad other man-made items, held until they disintegrate, make their way to distant seas, or merely bob among the waves before washing up on someone's beach.

I learned about the Eastern Garbage Patch, also called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, from studies the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, based in Long Beach, California, has conducted while trolling it seven times over the past decade. The foundation's fieldwork has revealed an ever-growing synthetic sea where particles concentrate by season, trash commutes in the currents from far-off places, and plastic outweighs zooplankton, retarding ocean life. Fascinating stuff. Captain Charles Moore founded the Algalita foundation and commands its research vessel, the Alguita. (Maddeningly similar names, I know.)

Moore first discovered the garbage patch when he crossed the Pacific in 1997 after competing in the Transpacific Yacht Race. Since then he has been passionate about investigating it and creating awareness about its significance—and the significance of the Eastern Garbage Patch is enormous. His findings have gone a long way toward educating the science community, if not yet the public, on the magnitude of marine pollution and its impact on life—all life.

http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul/10-th...ds-largest-dump

[KiKi 0]

That sickens and depresses me at the same time......

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

The central north Pacific looks awfully shallow.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The central north Pacific looks awfully shallow.

This is one of many articles I've seen regarding this garbage...people aren't just making this up.

Bottle caps and other plastic objects are visible inside the decomposed carcass of this Laysan albatross on Kure Atoll, which lies in a remote and virtually uninhabited region of the North Pacific. The bird probably mistook the plastics for food and ingested them while foraging for prey.

http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Moo...acificNov03.htm

[Teacher Mark 53]

[Dakine 26]

Been there and seen it! I commercial fished the area. We traveled 2 days at 9 knots thru a sea of non stop plastic as far as the eye could see.

Couldn't even put a lure out as it would foul up with "junk" before it had a chance to catch anything. That was over 20 years ago. Hate to think of what it would be like now.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

The central north Pacific looks awfully shallow.

This is one of many articles I've seen regarding this garbage...people aren't just making this up.

Bottle caps and other plastic objects are visible inside the decomposed carcass of this Laysan albatross on Kure Atoll, which lies in a remote and virtually uninhabited region of the North Pacific. The bird probably mistook the plastics for food and ingested them while foraging for prey.

http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Moo...acificNov03.htm

I've sailed the Pacific endlessly. Have you?

[Dakine 26]

The central north Pacific looks awfully shallow.

This is one of many articles I've seen regarding this garbage...people aren't just making this up.

Bottle caps and other plastic objects are visible inside the decomposed carcass of this Laysan albatross on Kure Atoll, which lies in a remote and virtually uninhabited region of the North Pacific. The bird probably mistook the plastics for food and ingested them while foraging for prey.

http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Moo...acificNov03.htm

I've sailed the Pacific endlessly. Have you?

Thank God it wasn't endless but I captained a 63' 45 ton commercial fishing boat from Niihau all the way to Kure for over 30 years.

[Yiyi and Chris 0]

Terrible!

[Teacher Mark 53]

The central north Pacific looks awfully shallow.

This is one of many articles I've seen regarding this garbage...people aren't just making this up.

Bottle caps and other plastic objects are visible inside the decomposed carcass of this Laysan albatross on Kure Atoll, which lies in a remote and virtually uninhabited region of the North Pacific. The bird probably mistook the plastics for food and ingested them while foraging for prey.

http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Moo...acificNov03.htm

I've sailed the Pacific endlessly. Have you?

To infinity and beyond?

[almaty 19]

i thought the world largest dump ever..was brother arijit..took him 5 days to complete..f##king Indian food