Pollution in the Pacific
Not only is the Pacific Ocean the largest ocean in the world, but it is also home to the largest body of marine trash known as "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch". This collection of garbage is located about halfway between Hawaii and the coast California. Trash is collected because the patch acts as a vortex which spins from the outside, while the inner part of the patch is calm. The spinning draws in debris as the center becomes increasingly larger. (National Geographic "Great Pacific" 2012) Research suggests that approximately 1.15 to 2.41 million tons of plastic are entering the ocean every year. Not all of this plastic can be seen by the human eye, though. In fact, more than half of the plastic that is entering the ocean is microplastic. (The Ocean Cleanup "The Great Pacific" 2020) Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic that contain harmful chemicals. (Science Learning Hub "How Harmful" 2020) Work Cited: The Ocean