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Evidence that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is rapidly accumulating plastic
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Researchers analyzed long-term data from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and found that plastic is rapidly accumulating, with the mass of floating plastic growing faster than inputs would suggest, pointing to an underestimated and worsening pollution problem.
Ocean plastic can persist in sea surface waters, eventually accumulating in remote areas of the world's oceans. Here we characterise and quantify a major ocean plastic accumulation zone formed in subtropical waters between California and Hawaii: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). Our model, calibrated with data from multi-vessel and aircraft surveys, predicted at least 79 (45-129) thousand tonnes of ocean plastic are floating inside an area of 1.6 million km; a figure four to sixteen times higher than previously reported. We explain this difference through the use of more robust methods to quantify larger debris. Over three-quarters of the GPGP mass was carried by debris larger than 5 cm and at least 46% was comprised of fishing nets. Microplastics accounted for 8% of the total mass but 94% of the estimated 1.8 (1.1-3.6) trillion pieces floating in the area. Plastic collected during our study has specific characteristics such as small surface-to-volume ratio, indicating that only certain types of debris have the capacity to persist and accumulate at the surface of the GPGP. Finally, our results suggest that ocean plastic pollution within the GPGP is increasing exponentially and at a faster rate than in surrounding waters.
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Analysis of over 2,500 plankton net tows in the eastern Pacific Ocean from 2001 to 2012 documented a persistent plastic accumulation zone in the North Pacific subtropical gyre corresponding to the predicted convergence zone of ocean currents. The 11-year dataset reveals the long-term stability of this "garbage patch" and its distinct seasonal and interannual variability.
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Researchers provided the first direct evidence that plastic debris from the North Pacific Garbage Patch sinks into the deep ocean, with plastic concentrations declining in a predictable pattern as depth increases. The polymer types found in the deep water matched those floating at the surface, confirming that surface garbage patches are a source of deep-sea plastic contamination.
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Deep-sea sediment sampling estimates up to 14 million tonnes of microplastics have accumulated on the ocean floor, roughly 35 times the estimated weight of plastic floating on the ocean surface. This finding fundamentally changes the understanding of where plastic pollution resides and suggests the long-term ecological burden on marine ecosystems is far greater than surface measurements have indicated.
A global inventory of small floating plastic debris
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Researchers compiled a global inventory of small floating plastic debris from ocean surface sampling expeditions, estimating the total abundance and mass of floating microplastics and identifying the major oceanic accumulation zones.
What’s that Floating in my Soup? Characterisation and Handling of Floating Debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
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Researchers characterized floating debris collected from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, finding a heterogeneous mixture of plastic types, sizes, and degradation states alongside entangled marine organisms. This study provides data on the composition and handling challenges of ocean plastic accumulation zones to inform cleanup operations.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.