Ocean Garbage Patch: Causes, Effects and Solution

What is Ocean Garbage Patch?

It is a large system of ocean surface current moving in a circular fashion driven by winds movement of marine debris particles. These collections of plastic and other debris, waste are not compact, most of it is near the surface of the ocean and it can be found up to more than 30 metres deep in the water (ocean). Garbage patch grow because of widespread loss of plastic from trash collection system. Patches contains micro-plastics, plastic pellet, goods appliances lost from shipping, flood etc.

What are the sources of Garbage Patch?

· Tons of plastic wastes moves from roads areas into storm drains during heavy rain and wind in coastal cities which washes into the Ocean. These storm drains and rivers act like a well design conveyor belt system for the movement of tons of trash from cities area to coast every-year during rainy days.

· Near the coastal areas people leave plastic bags, bottles, trash cans on the sand where winds and tides pull them away to the sea.

· Cargo ships and Ocean Liners throw waste overboard. Sometime storms knock off the container from a cargo ship.

· Fishing activities are one of the main causes of garbage patch in ocean. Fishing industries consists of huge ships along-with huge ropes, traps which abandon them in the ocean. These things are made up non corrosive material. It floats and moves along-with the ocean current.

Impact of Garbage Patch

Ø     On Ocean Life

· Aquatic animals like turtles, fish and sea birds by mistake eat away these brightly coloured plastic as food which negatively affect on their digestive system.

· Whales, Sharks etc get traps on the abandon nets. Injuring and drowning them.

· Plastic release chemical Toxins into the ocean water and leach chemical additives into marine organisms when eaten.

Ø     On Ecosystem

· Plastics on the ocean surface when exposed to sunlight slowly degrade and release methane and ethylene into the atmosphere which are Greenhouse gases.

· Marine organism get interfere with micro-plastics reduces the oceans capacity to absorb carbon dioxide.

· Floating debris acts as carrying non-native and invasive coastal organism into open ocean habitats where they disrupt natural balances.

Five Major Ocean Garbage patch

1.Great pacific garbage patch: It is the largest garbage patch of all. Located in between Hawaii and California in North Pacific

2. South pacific garbage patch: Located off the Western Coast of South America.

3. North Atlantic garbage patch: Located between North America and Africa.

4.South Atlantic garbage patch: Located between South America and South Africa.

5. Indian Ocean garbage patch: Located in the waters of the Indian Ocean east of South Africa.

Why Patch Clean-Up is so hard?

· The rate of removal of trash by the ships is slow than that of arrival of new trash i.e plastic waste continuously flows from the river to the ocean.

· Micro-plastic are scattered over a large area make it impossible to scoop up all at a once.

·  The garbage collecting nets or tools can harm ocean organism lives right at the surface.

· These garbage patches are located at remote region which requires huge ship and funding.

How can clean or prevent Garbage patch

A simple and more effective solution is that prevent new waste from entering the ocean and active the offshore cleaning up.

· River barriers and interceptors should be installed to scoop out debris from polluting rivers before opening into the ocean.

· Implementing strict Government policy and regulation for the improvement of waste management structure.

· By choosing reusable bags, bottles, cups etc

· Recovering abandon commercial wastes from the cargo ships and fishing coumminity.

Few major Organization working for clean up Oceanic garbage patches

1.  The Ocean Cleanup

2.  4ocean

3. Ocean Conservancy

4. The Great Bubble Barrier

The ocean garbage patch is a serious environmental problem cause mainly by the accumulation of plastic and other waste in ocean current. Its harms marine animals, damages ecosystem, and can eventually effects human and coastal communities. Although the garbage patches are difficult to clean completely, we can reduce the problem by using less plastic, recycling properly, preventing waste from entering rivers and oceans, and supporting effective waste management system. Protecting our ocean is everyone’s responsibility, and preventing pollution is the most effective way to keep the ocean clean for future generations.