Discovered in 1988, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is today estimated to contain over 7 billionpounds of trash and covers an area larger than the state of Texas. This spring, an island of trash was discovered in the Atlantic too.
Plastic is the main culprit. It floats. It doesn't biodegrade. It can remain in the water column indefinitely and travel around the world on ocean currents. Piles of plastic are a huge problem in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Plastic from all over the Pacific accumulates there, killing critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals and albatrosses.
MCBI is working to get federal agencies more government funding to clean up the mess.
Check out this video from MCBI board member Philippe Cousteau on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Purvis Marine Conservation Biology Institute
