Plastic polluting water.
What is the Vortex?
Approx. Location of N. Pacific Trash Vortex.
Earth's oceans are one of our most precious resources on the planet. Tons of ecosystems exist within its depths, and many others benefit from its salty waters near the surface. Birds, too, live outside the ocean but depend on it as a food source. Any food they find on the surface they use for eating or feeding their young. Fish primarily eat ocean plants (algae, plankton, etc.) and other sea creatures. However, these creatures, and others, are being threatened by the presence of a giant trash area in the North Pacific Ocean, called the Pacific Trash Vortex by some.
The trash vortex exists in the stationary center of a circular current in the North Pacific, the North Pacific Gyre. The Gyre gathers garbage from various locations in the North Pacific and carries them to this area of circular water motion, where the mentioned motion causes the debris to gather in the center of it.
The trash vortex exists in the stationary center of a circular current in the North Pacific, the North Pacific Gyre. The Gyre gathers garbage from various locations in the North Pacific and carries them to this area of circular water motion, where the mentioned motion causes the debris to gather in the center of it.
What Does it Look Like?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is not visible from outer space. Even from earth, it does not have defined boundaries. It is just distinguished by an area where the level of pollutants in the water is higher than normal concentrations in previous time periods and in other sections of the ocean. According to the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, the current ratio of plastic to natural plankton in the surface water is a staggering 45:1. And ten years ago, it was only 6:1. That was bad, but this is way worse!
The plastic pollutants that exist in the garbage patch include plastic bags, water bottles and bottle caps, plastic pellets, match lighter cases, and many other common household commodities. If people disposed of these waste items more safely, the organisms that live in this region would not have to deal with this likely intoxication and probable extinction.
The plastic pollutants that exist in the garbage patch include plastic bags, water bottles and bottle caps, plastic pellets, match lighter cases, and many other common household commodities. If people disposed of these waste items more safely, the organisms that live in this region would not have to deal with this likely intoxication and probable extinction.