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{{Redirect|Garbage Island|the episode of [[How I Met Your Mother]]|Garbage Island (How I Met Your Mother)}}

<!--FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE, PLEASE CONSULT THE TALK PAGE BEFORE MAKING ADDITIONS Added by User:Eusebeus
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[[File:North Pacific Gyre World Map.png|thumb|350px|The Garbage Patch is located within the [[North Pacific Gyre]], one of the five major oceanic [[gyre]]s.|alt=Map showing the oceans' five major gyres]]

The '''Great Pacific Garbage Patch''', also described as the '''Pacific Trash Vortex''', is a [[Ocean gyre|gyre]] of [[marine litter]] in the central [[North Pacific Ocean]] located roughly between [[135th meridian west|135°W]] to [[155th meridian west|155°W]] and [[35th parallel north|35°N]] to [[42nd parallel north|42°N]].<ref>See the relevant sections below for specific references concerning the discovery and history of the patch. A general overview is provided in Dautel, Susan L. "Transoceanic Trash: International and United States Strategies for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch," 3 Golden Gate U. Envtl. L.J. 181 (2009)</ref> The patch extends over an indeterminate area, with estimates ranging very widely depending on the degree of plastic concentration used to define the affected area.

The Patch is characterized by exceptionally high concentrations of [[pelagic]] [[plastic]]s, [[chemical sludge]], and other [[debris]] that have been trapped by the currents of the [[North Pacific Gyre]].<ref>For this and what follows, see Moore (2004) and Moore (2009), which includes photographs taken from the patch,</ref> Despite its size and [[density]], the patch is not visible from [[satellite photography]], since it consists primarily of suspended particulates in the upper [[water column]]. Since plastics break down to ever smaller [[polymers]], concentrations of submerged particles are not visible from space, nor do they appear as a continuous debris field. Instead, the patch is defined as an area in which the mass of plastic debris in the upper water column is significantly higher than average.

==Discovery==
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[[File:North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone.jpg|thumb|300px|The Patch is created in the gyre of the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone|alt=Map showing large-scale looping water movements within the Pacific. One circles west to Australia, then south and back to Latin America. Further north, water moves east to Central America, and then joins a larger movement further north, which loops south, west, north, and east between North America and Japan. Two smaller loops circle in the eastern and central North Pacific.]]

The existence of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was predicted in a 1988 paper published by the [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] (NOAA) of the [[United States]]. The prediction was based on results obtained by several Alaska-based researchers between 1985 and 1988 that measured [[neuston]]ic [[Plastics|plastic]] in the North Pacific Ocean.<ref>{{cite web
| last1=Day
| first1=Robert H.
| last2=Shaw
| first2=David G.
| last3=Ignell
| first3=Steven E.
| author-link=
| publication-date=1988
|date=4
| year=1988
| title=Quantitative distribution and characteristics of neustonic plastic in the North Pacific Ocean. Final Report to US Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service, Auke Bay Laboratory. Auke Bay, AK
| pages=247–266
| url=http://swfsc.noaa.gov/publications/TM/SWFSC/NOAA-TM-NMFS-SWFSC-154_P247.PDF
|format=PDF| accessdate=
| postscript=<!--None-->
}}</ref> This research found high concentrations of marine debris accumulating in regions governed by ocean currents. Extrapolating from findings in the [[Sea of Japan]], the researchers hypothesized that similar conditions would occur in other parts of the Pacific where prevailing currents were favorable to the creation of relatively stable waters. They specifically indicated the North Pacific Gyre.<ref>"After entering the ocean, however, neuston plastic is redistributed by currents and winds. For example, plastic entering the ocean in Japan is moved eastward by the Subarctic Current (in Subarctic Water) and the Kuroshio (in Transitional Water, Kawai 1972; Favorite et al. 1976; Nagata et al. 1986). In this way, the plastic is transported from high-density areas to low-density areas. In addition to this eastward movement, Ekman stress from winds tends to move surface waters from the subarctic and the subtropics toward the Transitional Water mass as a whole (see Roden 1970: fig. 5). Because of the convergent nature of this Ekman flow, densities tend to be high in Transitional Water. ''In addition, the generally convergent nature of [[water]] in the North Pacific Central Gyre (Masuzawa 1972) should result in high densities there also.''" Day, etc... 1988, p. 261 (Emphasis added)</ref>

[[Charles J. Moore]], returning home through the North Pacific Gyre after competing in the [[Transpacific Yacht Race|Transpac]] sailing race in 1997, came upon an enormous stretch of floating debris. Moore alerted the [[oceanography|oceanographer]] [[Curtis Ebbesmeyer]], who subsequently dubbed the region the "Eastern Garbage Patch" (EGP).<ref name="natural history">{{Cite journal| title = Across the Pacific Ocean, plastics, plastics, everywhere | last = Moore | first = Charles | date = November 2003 | publisher = [[Natural History (magazine)|Natural History Magazine]] | url = http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Moore-Trashed-PacificNov03.htm | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> The area is frequently featured in media reports as an exceptional example of [[marine pollution]].<ref>{{Cite news
| last=Berton
| first=Justin
| author-link=
| publication-date=Friday, October 19
| date=October 19, 2007
| title=Continent-size toxic stew of plastic trash fouling swath of Pacific Ocean
| periodical=San Francisco Chronicle
| publication-place=San Francisco
| publisher=Hearst
| pages=W–8
| url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/19/SS6JS8RH0.DTL
| accessdate=2007-10-22
| postscript=<!--None-->
}}</ref> Moore's claim of having discovered a large, visible debris field is, however, a mischaracterization of the polluted region overall, since it consists primarily of particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye.<ref>See introduction, above</ref>

A similar patch of floating plastic debris is found in the Atlantic Ocean. See: [[North Atlantic Garbage Patch]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100302-new-ocean-trash-garbage-patch/ |title= Huge Garbage Patch Found in Atlantic Too |work= National Geographic News |publisher= [[National Geographic Society]] |first= Richard A. |last= Lovett |date= 2 March 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8534052.stm |title=Plastic rubbish blights Atlantic Ocean |author=Victoria Gill |date=24 February 2010 |work= |publisher=BBC |accessdate=16 March 2010}}</ref>

==Formation==
[[File:Currents.svg|thumb|right|300px|The north Pacific Garbage Patch on a continuous ocean map|alt=Map of gyres centered near the south pole (click to enlarge)]]

It is thought that, like other areas of concentrated marine debris in the world's oceans, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch formed gradually as a result of marine pollution gathered by [[Ocean current|oceanic currents]].<ref>For this and what follows, see David M. Karl, "A Sea of Change: Biogeochemical Variability in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre," Ecosystems, Vol. 2, No. 3 (May - Jun., 1999), pp. 181-214 and, for gyres generally, Sverdrup HU, Johnson MW, Fleming RH. 1946. The oceans, their physics, chemistry and general biology. New York: Prentice-Hall.</ref> The garbage patch occupies a large and relatively stationary region of the North Pacific Ocean bound by the North Pacific Gyre (a remote area commonly referred to as the [[horse latitudes]]). The gyre's rotational pattern draws in waste material from across the North Pacific Ocean, including coastal waters off North America and Japan. As material is captured in the currents, wind-driven surface currents gradually move floating debris toward the center, trapping it in the region.

The size of the patch is unknown, as large items readily visible from a boat deck are uncommon. Most debris consists of small plastic particles suspended at or just below the surface, making it impossible to detect by aircraft or satellite. Instead, the size of the patch is determined by sampling. Estimates on size range from {{convert|700000|km2|mi2}} to more than {{convert|15000000|km2|mi2}} (0.41% to 8.1% of the size of the Pacific Ocean), or, in some media reports, up to "twice the size of the continental United States".<ref name="independent.co.uk">{{Cite news| url=http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-worlds-rubbish-dump-a-garbage-tip-that-stretches-from-hawaii-to-japan-778016.html | work=The Independent | location=London | title=The world's rubbish dump | first1=Kathy | last1=Marks | date=2008-02-05 | accessdate=2010-05-04}}</ref> Such estimates, however, are conjectural based on the complexities of sampling and the need to assess findings against other areas.

<blockquote>Net-based surveys are less subjective than direct observations but are limited regarding the area that can be sampled (net apertures 1–2 m and ships typically have to slow down to deploy nets, requiring dedicated ship's time). The plastic debris sampled is determined by net mesh size, with similar mesh sizes required to make meaningful comparisons among studies. Floating debris typically is sampled with a [[neuston]] or [[manta trawl]] net lined with 0.33 mm mesh. Given the very high level of spatial clumping in marine litter, large numbers of net tows are required to adequately characterize the average abundance of litter at sea. Long-term changes in plastic meso-litter have been reported using surface net tows: in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre in 1999, plastic abundance was 335 000 items km<sup>2</sup> and 5.1 kg km<sup>2</sup>, roughly an order of magnitude greater than samples collected in the 1980s. Similar dramatic increases in plastic debris have been reported off Japan. However, caution is needed in interpreting such findings, because of the problems of extreme spatial heterogeneity, and the need to compare samples from equivalent water masses, which is to say that, if an examination of the same parcel of water a week apart is conducted, an order of magnitude change in plastic concentration could be observed.<ref>Ryan, Moore et al (2009)HI</ref></blockquote>

Further, although the size of the patch is determined by a higher-than-normal degree of concentration of [[pelagic]] debris, there is no specific standard for determining the boundary between the "normal" and "elevated" levels of pollutants to provide a firm estimate of the affected area.

In August 2009, the [[Scripps Institution of Oceanography]]/[[Project Kaisei]] SEAPLEX survey mission of the Gyre found that plastic debris was present in 100 consecutive samples taken at varying depths and net sizes along a {{convert|1700|mi|km}} path through the patch. The survey also confirmed that, while the debris field does contain large pieces, it is on the whole made up of smaller items that increase in concentration toward the Gyre's centre, and these '[[confetti]]-like' pieces are clearly visible just beneath the surface.

===Sources of pollutants===
There is strong scientific data concerning the origins of [[pelagic]] plastics. The figure that an estimated 80% of the garbage comes from land-based sources and 20% from ships is derived from an unsubstantiated estimate.<ref>Postulated in Moore 2004</ref> Ship-generated pollution is a source of concern, since a typical 3,000-passenger cruise ship produces over eight tons of solid waste weekly, a major amount of which ends up in the patch, as most of the waste is organic.<ref>Clemmitt, Marcia. "New Rules Sought for 'Floating Cities.'" Saving the Oceans 15.39 (4 Nov. 2005): n. pag. CQ Researcher Online. Web. 5 Oct. 2009. <http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2005110420&type=hitlist>.</ref> Pollutants range in size from abandoned fishing nets to micro-pellets used in abrasive cleaners.<ref name="sierra">{{Cite news
| last=Ferris
| first=David
| date=May/June 2009
| title=Message in a bottle
| periodical=Sierra
| publication-place=San Francisco
| publisher=Sierra Club
| url=http://sierraclub.org/sierra/200905/message.aspx
| accessdate=August 13, 2009
| postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> Currents carry debris from the west coast of North America to the gyre in about six years,<ref>http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Moore-Trashed-PacificNov03.htm</ref> and debris from the east coast of Asia in a year or less.<ref>{{Cite journal| author = Faris, J. and Hart, K. | title = Seas of Debris: A Summary of the Third International Conference on Marine Debris | publisher = N.C. Sea Grant College Program and NOAA | year = 1994 | postscript = <!--None--> }}</ref><ref name="npr-moore">{{Cite journal| title = Garbage Mass Is Growing in the Pacific | date = 2008-03-28 | publisher = [[National Public Radio]] | url = http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89099470 | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> An international research project led by Dr. Hideshige Takada of [[Tokyo University]] studying plastic pellets, or [[Plastic particle water pollution|nurdles]], from beaches around the world may provide further clues about the origins of pelagic plastic.<ref>{{cite web| title=International Pellet Watch | url=http://www.tuat.ac.jp/~gaia/ipw/index.html | work= | publisher=Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Dr. Hideshige Takada | date= | accessdate=2009-05-27}}</ref>

===Plastic photodegradation in the ocean===
{{Main|Photodegradation}}
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has one of the highest levels known of plastic particulate suspended in the upper water column. As a result, it is one of several oceanic regions where researchers have studied the effects and impact of plastic [[photodegradation]] in the [[neustonic]] layer of water.<ref>{{Cite journal
| last1=Thompson
| first1=Richard C.
| date=2004-05-07
| title=Lost at Sea: Where Is All the Plastic?,
| periodical=[[Science (journal)|Science]]
| volume=304
| doi=10.1126/science.1094559
| page=843
| url=http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/304/5672/838/DC1
| accessdate=2008-07-19
| journal=Science
| issue=5672
| pmid=15131299
| last2=Olsen
| first2=Y
| last3=Mitchell
| first3=RP
| last4=Davis
| first4=A
| last5=Rowland
| first5=SJ
| last6=John
| first6=AW
| last7=McGonigle
| first7=D
| last8=Russell
| first8=AE
}}</ref> Unlike debris, which [[biodegradation|biodegrades]], the photodegraded plastic disintegrates into ever smaller pieces while remaining a [[polymer]]. This process continues down to the [[Molecule|molecular level]].<ref>For this and what follows, see the references provided at [[Photodegradation]]. Also, D.K.A. Barnes et al., Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 27 July 2009 vol. 364 no.1526, 1985-1998 doi: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0205</ref>

As the plastic [[flotsam]] photodegrades into smaller and smaller pieces, it concentrates in the upper water column. As it disintegrates, the plastic ultimately becomes small enough to be ingested by aquatic organisms that reside near the ocean's surface. Thus, plastic waste enters the [[food chain]] through its concentration in the [[neuston]].

Some plastics decompose within a year of entering the water, leaching potentially toxic chemicals such as [[bisphenol A]], [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCBs]], and derivatives of [[polystyrene]].<ref>{{cite web
| title=Plastic Breaks Down in Ocean, After All -- And Fast
| first=Carolyn
| last=Barry
| work=National Geographic News |publisher= [[National Geographic Society]]
| url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090820-plastic-decomposes-oceans-seas.html
| date=2009-08-20
| accessdate=2009-08-30
}}</ref>

===Weight of plastics through water column===
Charles Moore has estimated the mass of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch at 100 million tons.<ref>"The world's rubbish dump: a tip that stretches from Hawaii to Japan," Kathy Marks AND Daniel Howden. 5 February 2008. Independent.co.uk [http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-worlds-rubbish-dump-a-garbage-tip-that-stretches-from-hawaii-to-japan-778016.html] accessed 15 March 2011</ref>

===Density of neustonic plastics===
In a 2001 study, researchers (including Charles Moore) found concentrations of plastic particles at 334,721 pieces per km<sup>2</sup> with a mean mass of 5,114&nbsp;[[grams]] (11.27&nbsp;lbs) per km<sup>2</sup>, in the [[neuston]]. Assuming each particle of plastic averaged 5&nbsp;mm x 5&nbsp;mm, this would amount to only 8&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup> per km<sup>2</sup> due to small particulates. Nonetheless, this represents a very high amount with respect to the overall ecology of the neuston. In many of the sampled areas, the overall concentration of plastics was seven times greater than the concentration of [[zooplankton]]. Samples collected at deeper points in the water column found much lower concentrations of plastic particles (primarily [[monofilament fishing line]] pieces).<ref name=moore2001>{{Cite news
| last1=Moore
| first1=Charles
| last2=Moore
| first2=S. L.
| last3=Leecaster
| first3=M. K.
| last4=Weisberg
| first4=S. B.
| author-link=
| publication-date=2001-12-01
|date=4
| year=2001
| title=A Comparison of Plastic and Plankton in the North Pacific Central Gyre
| periodical=Marine Pollution Bulletin
| volume=42
| issue=12
| pages=1297–1300
| doi=10.1016/S0025-326X(01)00114-X
| url=http://www.alguita.com/gyre.pdf
|format=PDF| accessdate=
| journal=Marine Pollution Bulletin
| pmid=11827116
| postscript=<!--None-->
}}</ref>

==Size==
Although many media and advocacy reports have suggested that the patch extends over an area larger than the continental U.S., recent research sponsored by the [[National Science Foundation]] suggests the affected area may be twice the size of [[Texas]],<ref>For a discussion of the problems in determining the exact size based on current sampling techniques, see Peter Ryan, Charles Moore et al., [http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/364/1526/1999 Monitoring the abundance of plastic debris in the marine environment.] Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 27 July 2009 vol. 364 no. 1526 1999-2012, doi: [http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0207 10.1098/rstb.2008.0207]</ref><ref>http://www.katu.com/outdoors/featured/112901159.html</ref> while a recent study concluded that the patch might be smaller.<ref>"OCEANIC "GARBAGE PATCH" NOT NEARLY AS BIG AS PORTRAYED IN MEDIA", http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2011/jan/oceanic-%E2%80%9Cgarbage-patch%E2%80%9D-not-nearly-big-portrayed-media</ref> This can be attributed to the fact that there is no specific standard for determining the boundary between the "normal" and "elevated" levels of pollutants and what constitutes being part of the patch. The size is determined by a higher-than-normal degree of concentration of [[pelagic]] debris in the water. Recent data collected from Pacific [[albatross]] populations suggest there may be two distinct zones of concentrated debris in the Pacific.<ref>Young LC, Vanderlip C, Duffy DC, Afanasyev V, Shaffer SA (2009) Bringing Home the Trash: Do Colony-Based Differences in Foraging Distribution Lead to Increased Plastic Ingestion in Laysan Albatrosses? PLoS ONE 4(10): e7623. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007623</ref>

==Effect on wildlife==

Some of these long-lasting plastics end up in the stomachs of marine birds and animals, and their young,<ref name="natural history"/> including [[sea turtle]]s and the [[Black-footed Albatross]].<ref name="mindfully">{{Cite journal| title = Great Pacific Garbage Patch | last = Moore | first = Charles | date = 2002-10-02 | publisher = Santa Barbara News-Press | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> Besides the particles' danger to wildlife, the floating debris can absorb [[persistent organic pollutants|organic pollutant]]s from seawater, including [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCBs]], [[DDT]], and [[Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon|PAHs]].<ref>{{Cite journal| last=Rios | first=L.M. | coauthors=Moore, C. and Jones, P.R. | year=2007 | title=Persistent organic pollutants carried by Synthetic polymers in the ocean environment | journal=Marine Pollution Bulletin | volume=54 | pages=1230–1237 | doi=10.1016/j.marpolbul.2007.03.022 | pmid=17532349 | issue=8 | postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> Aside from toxic effects,<ref>{{Cite journal| last=Tanabe | first=S. | coauthors=Watanabe, M., Minh, T.B., Kunisue, T., Nakanishi, S., Ono, H. and Tanaka, H. | year=2004 | title=PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs in albatross from the North Pacific and Southern Oceans: Levels, patterns, and toxicological implications | journal=Environmental Science & Technology | volume=38 | pages=403–413 | doi=10.1021/es034966x | postscript=<!--None--> }}</ref> when ingested, some of these are mistaken by the [[endocrine]] system as [[estradiol]], causing hormone disruption in the affected animal.<ref name="mindfully" /> These toxin-containing plastic pieces are also eaten by [[jellyfish]], which are then eaten by larger fish. Many of these fish are then consumed by humans, resulting in their ingestion of toxic chemicals.<ref>Rogers, Paul. "'Pacific Garbage Patch' expedition finds plastic, plastic everywhere." The Contra Costa Times [Walnut Creek, CA] 1 Sept. 2009: n. pag. Web. 4 Oct. 2009. <http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ ci_13258216?nclick_check=1>.</ref> Marine plastics also facilitate the spread of invasive species that attach to floating plastic in one region and drift long distances to colonize other ecosystems.<ref name="sierra" />

Research has shown that this plastic marine debris affects at least 267 species worldwide and a few of the 267 species reside in the North Pacific Gyre.<ref>http://oceans.greenpeace.org/raw/content/en/documents-reports/plastic_ocean_report.pdf</ref>

==Great Pacific Garbage Patch Treaty (GPGPT)==
No country with a seat on the United Nations has claimed any responsibility for the patch, and therefore have not taken action to clean it up. The [http://gpgpt.org GPGPT Organization] has written an international treaty intended to assist nations in taking responsibility. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Treaty (GPGPT) has been signed by several entities who are willing to claim responsibility for it, and take action. All nations are invited to be signatories to this treaty. Leaders of UN member states may also sign this treaty, and claim part of the responsibility for the GPGP.

==Research and cleanup==
{{Update|date=August 2010}}

[[File:Plastics harvesting nets.png|thumb|right|300px|Plastics-harvesting nets mounted on a vessel]]

In April 2008, Richard Sundance Owen, a building contractor and scuba dive instructor, formed the Environmental Cleanup Coalition to address the issue of North Pacific pollution. ECC collaborates with other groups to identify methods to safely remove plastic and [[persistent organic pollutant]]s from the oceans.<ref name="maui time">{{Cite news
| last=Bradshaw
| first=Kate
| date=January 29, 2009
| title=The Great Garbage Swirl
| periodical=Maui Time Weekly
| publication-place=Maui
| publisher=Linear Publishing
| url=http://www.mauitime.com/Articles-i-2009-01-29-68584.113117_The_great_garbage_swirl.html
| accessdate=April 26, 2009
| postscript=<!--None-->
}}</ref><ref>[http://www.gyrecleanup.org/cleanup.html The Environmental Cleanup Coalition's "Gyre Cleanup" plan]</ref>

The [[JUNK raft]] project was a trans-Pacific sailing voyage from June to August 2008 made to highlight the plastic in the patch, organized by the [[Algalita Marine Research Foundation]].<ref name=USAToday28Aug08>{{Cite news
|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-08-28-1679732347_x.htm
|title=A raft made of junk crosses Pacific in 3 months
|publisher=[[USA Today]]
|date=2008-08-28
|accessdate=2009-09-30
|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5kBAZoJrO
|archivedate=2009-09-30
| first=Britt
| last=Yap
}}</ref><ref name=MSNBC28Aug08>{{cite web
|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26436974/
|title=Raft made of junk bottles crosses Pacific
|publisher=[[msnbc]]
|date=2008-08-28
|accessdate=2009-09-30
|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5kBAjTVWI
|archivedate=2009-09-30
}}</ref><ref name=BBC28Aug08>{{Cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7571663.stm
|title=Mid-ocean dinner date saves rower
|publisher=BBC News
|date=2008-08-20
|accessdate=2009-09-30
|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5kBAnV1JI
|archivedate=2009-09-30
| first=Christine
| last=Jeavans
}}</ref>

[[Project Kaisei]] is a project to study and clean up the garbage patch launched in March 2009. In August 2009, two project vessels, the [[RV New Horizon|''New Horizon'']] and the [[Kaisei (ship)|''Kaisei'']], embarked on a voyage to research the patch and determine the feasibility of commercial scale collection and recycling.<ref>{{Cite news|title= Expedition Sets Sail to the Great Plastic Vortex |url= http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914145,00.html |first= Bryan |last= Walsh |work= [[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date= 1 August 2009 |accessdate= 2 August 2009 }}</ref>

The SEAPLEX expedition, a group of researchers from [[Scripps Institution of Oceanography]], spent 19 days on the ocean in August, 2009 researching the patch. Their primary goal was to describe the abundance and distribution of plastic in the gyre in the most rigorous study to date. Researchers were also looking at the impact of plastic on [[Mesopelagic_fish#Mesopelagic_fish|mesopelagic fish]], such as [[lanternfish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://seaplexscience.com/2009/08/12/midwater_fish/ |title=SEAPLEX Day 11 Part 1: Midwater Fish « SEAPLEX |publisher=Seaplexscience.com |date=2009-08-12 |accessdate=2010-07-28}}</ref><ref>Staff Writers. "Scientists Find 'Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.'" Space Daily 2 Sept. 2009: n. pag. Gale. Web. 12 Oct. 2009</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://find.galegroup.com |title=GaleNet |publisher=Find.galegroup.com |date= |accessdate=2010-07-28}}</ref> This group utilized a fully capable dedicated oceanographic research vessel, the {{convert|170|ft|m|abbr=on}} long ''New Horizon'' .<ref>http://shipsked.ucsd.edu/Ships/New_Horizon/specs.php http://sio.ucsd.edu/Expeditions/Seaplex/Science/</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Indian Ocean Garbage Patch]]
* [[North Atlantic Garbage Patch]]
* [[Ecosystem of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre]]
* [[Marine debris]]
* [[Plastic particle water pollution]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin|2}}
*{{Cite journal|author=Oliver J. Dameron|coauthors=Michael Parke, Mark A. Albins and Russell Brainard|month=April|year=2007|title=Marine debris accumulation in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands: An examination of rates and processes|journal=Marine Pollution Bulletin|volume=54|issue=4|pages=423–433|doi=10.1016/j.marpolbul.2006.11.019|pmid=17217968}}
*{{Cite journal|title=Floating plastic in the Kuroshio Current area, western North Pacific Ocean|author=Rei Yamashita|coauthors=Atsushi Tanimura|journal=Marine Pollution Bulletin|volume=54|issue=4|pages=485–488|year=2007|doi=10.1016/j.marpolbul.2006.11.012|pmid=17275038}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.aviso.oceanobs.com/fileadmin/documents/OSTST/2000/kubota.pdf|format=PDF|title=Movement and accumulation of floating marine debris simulated by surface currents derived from satellite data|author=Masahisa Kubota|coauthors=Katsumi Takayama and Noriyuki Horii|publisher=School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University|year=2000}}
*{{Cite book|last=Gregory|first=M.R.|coauthors=Ryan, P.G.|year=1997|chapter=Pelagic plastics and other seaborne persistent synthetic debris: a review of Southern Hemisphere perspectives|editor=Coe, J.M., Rogers, D.B.|title=Marine Debris: Sources, Impacts, Solutions|publisher=Springer-Verlag|location=New York|pages=49–66}}
*A comparison of plastic and plankton in the North Pacific Central Gyre — Charles J Moore, Shelly L Moore, Molly K Leecaster and Stephen B Weisberg
*Density of plastic particles found in zooplankton trawls from coastal waters of California to the North Pacific Central Gyre — Charles J Moore, Gwen L Lattin and Ann F Zellers
*The quantitative distribution and characteristics of neuston plastic in the North Pacific Ocean, 1984-1988 — R H Day, D G Shaw and S E Ignell (1988)
*Thomas Morton, '[http://www.viceland.com/int/v15n2/htdocs/oh_this_is_great.php Oh, This is Great, Humans Have Finally Ruined the Ocean]', ''[[Vice Magazine]]'', Vol. 6, No. 2 (2007), pp.&nbsp;78–81.
*Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea by Donovan Hohn
*{{Cite news
|first=Lindsey |last=Hoshaw
|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/science/10patch.html?_r=1&hpw
|title=Afloat in the Ocean, Expanding Islands of Trash
|journal=[[New York Times]]
|date=2009-11-09
|accessdate=2009-11-10
| work=The New York Times}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
*[http://gpgpt.org/ Pacific Garbage Patch International Treaty]
*[http://www.greatgarbagepatch.org/ greatgarbagepatch.org]
*[http://ocean.si.edu/blog/plastic-trash-plagues-ocean Pacific Garbage Patch - Smithsonian Ocean Portal]
* [http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=plastic-surf "Plastic Surf" The Unhealthful Afterlife of Toys and Packaging: Small remnants of toys, bottles and packaging persist in the ocean, harming marine life and possibly even us] by Jennifer Ackerman [[Scientific American]] August 2010
* [http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/a_battle_at_midway/ photographer Chris Jordan, who recently traveled to a remote part of the Pacific Ocean to document effects of the world's largest known mass of garbage.] in [[Seed (magazine)]] {{cite web|last=Boustead |first=Greg |url=http://seedmagazine.com/slideshow/appetite_destruction/ |title=§ Appetite for Destruction |publisher=Seedmagazine.com |date=2010-02-18 |accessdate=2010-07-28}}
* [http://sio.ucsd.edu/Expeditions/Seaplex/ Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastic Expedition (SEAPLEX)] — Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego
* [http://kaisei.blipback.com The Project Kaisei Voyage Tracker ] — Project Kaisei and Ojingolabs
* [http://5gyres.org 5 Gyres - Understanding Plastic Marine Pollution ] — Algalita, Livable Legacy
* [http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/our-ocepkkonians/pollution/trash-vortex The trash vortex] — Greenpeace
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15713260 Navigating the Pacific's 'Garbage Patch'] — National Public Radio and me
* [http://www.algalita.org/ Marine Research, Education and Restoration] — Algalita Marine Research Foundation
* [http://environmentdebate.wordpress.com/2007/11/02/images-video-from-the-north-pacific-gyre/ Images & video from the North Pacific gyre] — WordPress.com
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/magazine/22Plastics-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Sea of Trash] - New York Times Magazine
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7K-nq0xkWY Captain Charles Moore on the seas of plastic]
* [http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html Charles Moore: Sailing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch] - TED Conference talk (2009)
* {{Skeptoid | id=4132 | number=132 | title=The Sargasso Sea and the Pacific Garbage Patch}}
* [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laurie-david/e-mails-from-the-great-pa_b_215456.html E-Mails From the Great Pacific Garbage Patch] by [[Laurie David]], ''The Huffington Post'', June 15, 2009
* [http://vimeo.com/9921293 PSA Video: "Plastics Kill"] by The Surfrider Foundation's [http://www.riseaboveplastics.org/ Rise Above Plastics Program]
* [http://twitter.com/Plastiki The Plastiki] on Twitter

{{Coord|38|N|145|W|dim:5000000|display=title}}

{{Ocean}}
{{Marine pollution}}

[[Category:Marine garbage patches]]
[[Category:Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Plastics and the environment]]

[[bs:Plastična supa]]
[[ca:Sopa de plàstic del Pacífic]]
[[de:Plastikmüll in den Ozeanen]]
[[es:Isla de basura]]
[[eo:Pacifika rubovortico]]
[[fr:Plaque de déchets du Pacifique nord]]
[[ko:태평양 거대 쓰레기 지대]]
[[it:Pacific Trash Vortex]]
[[he:שטח הפסולת של האוקיינוס השקט]]
[[nl:Kunststofarchipel]]
[[ja:太平洋ゴミベルト]]
[[pl:Wielka Pacyficzna Plama Śmieci]]
[[pt:Grande Porção de Lixo do Pacífico]]
[[ru:Большое тихоокеанское мусорное пятно]]
[[simple:Plastic Island]]
[[sr:Велики пацифички тепих од смећа]]
[[fi:Tyynenmeren jätepyörre]]
[[sv:Nordpacifiska strömmen]]
[[th:แพขยะใหญ่แปซิฟิก]]
[[uk:Велика тихоокеанська сміттєва пляма]]
[[zh:北太平洋環流]]

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