Located between the states of California and Hawaii, the Pacific Garbage Patch is the world’s largest trash repository. Described as thrice the size of France, and twice that of Texas, this ginormous landmass was discovered by an intellect by the names of Charles Moore who was returning home from a transpacific yacht race and opted for a different route through the North Pacific. On returning the following year he discovered that the landmass had simply multiplied in magnitude and density. This accumulation of waste is often referred to as the ‘Eighth Continent of Trash’ worldwide due to its shocking size, overshading many countries as well.
Accumulation of garbage in the ocean can lead to a number of environmental hazards such as the entanglement of marine lifeforms and furthermore the pollution on and beneath the surface of the oceans, giving them a murky swamp like appearance, drastically taking away from the natural beauty of underwater ecosystems. A common misconception regarding this floating continent is that it can be easily identified and eradicated from existence, however this patch, is not visible superficially and cannot even be completely identified easily through satellite images and photos taken by remote sensing agencies and websites such as Google Earth.
The garbage patch which can be described as a ‘soup of plastics’ is continuously changing in width and dimensions, with more waste being deposited and more plastics accumulating with the passage of every tide. The waste originating on this island ends up here from various different sources . Some plastics and microplastics migrate here from the USA and Japan, while some include debris from ships, submarines and offshore oil rigs present in the area. The garbage and waste from all these places slowly accumulate and are carried through the waves to this very gyre where they remain, only to take centuries for their xenobiotic compounds to degrade and decompose.
Among the plethora of animals largely affected by the garbage patch are albatrosses . They wander along the island in search of food and sustenance and dig their beaks into the mountains of microplastics and garbage that has accumulated on the continent in the last few decades. Along with this, the animals which feed on the algae and phytoplankton concentrated around the area such as turtles also lose their source of nourishment which ultimately causes a chain reaction ,leading to the apex predators such as sharks losing their main source of food as well.
In conclusion, plastic pollution poses a grave threat to ocean ecosystems, marine life, and even human health. The accumulation of plastics in our oceans disrupts food chains, damages habitats, and releases harmful toxins. The pacific garbage patch is only one of the hundreds of plastic and toxic waste concentrated areas in the world which serves as a stark reminder that only through sustained efforts can we begin to restore the health of the Pacific and protect its biodiversity for future generations.
The Pacific Garbage Patch
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