Difference between revisions of "Plastic in the Ocean"

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===What is the dimension of the problem?===
 
===What is the dimension of the problem?===
The plastic dominates the marine debris not only due to its is not biodegradable and very little of it (less than 4%) is recycled. Because it is durable and light-weight, plastic debris travels over vast distances and accumulates on beaches and in the ocean.
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The plastic dominates the marine debris not only due to its general use in the past decades but also because it is not biodegradable. Only a minor percentage of the plastic used worldwide is recycled. If it reaches the oceans it is virtually undegradable and can travel long distances through marine currents and accumulate along the shores or converging ocean zones. A conspicuous example of the latter is located in the central North Pacific Ocean, known as the [[Pacific trash vortex|Pacific trash vortex]], where the pieces of plastic outweigh surface [[zooplankton|zooplankton]] by a factor of 6 to 1.
In the Central North Pacific Gyre, pieces of plastic outweigh surface zooplankton by a factor of 6 to 1.
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[[Pacific trash vortex|Pacific trash vortex]]
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==

Revision as of 12:34, 28 July 2009

Category:Revision


Introduction

The majority of marine debris is thought to be mainly composed by or originated from plastic litter, such as plastic bags and containers, bottle caps, lost or abandonned fishing nets and lines, styrofoam.


Where does it come from?

Estimates of plastic in the world’s oceans exceed 100 million tons. Though 20% comes from ocean sources like derelict fishing gear or ocean dumping, 80% comes from land-based activities, through wind-blown landifll waste, for example.


Impacts on marine life

What is the dimension of the problem?

The plastic dominates the marine debris not only due to its general use in the past decades but also because it is not biodegradable. Only a minor percentage of the plastic used worldwide is recycled. If it reaches the oceans it is virtually undegradable and can travel long distances through marine currents and accumulate along the shores or converging ocean zones. A conspicuous example of the latter is located in the central North Pacific Ocean, known as the Pacific trash vortex, where the pieces of plastic outweigh surface zooplankton by a factor of 6 to 1.


See also

Internal Links

External Links

References


The main author of this article is Veiga, Joana M
Please note that others may also have edited the contents of this article.

Citation: Veiga, Joana M (2009): Plastic in the Ocean. Available from http://www.coastalwiki.org/wiki/Plastic_in_the_Ocean [accessed on 28-03-2024]