Introduction- The Pacific Trash Vortex

The North Pacific Gyre is a vortex of marine litter, it contains high concentrations of suspended plastic and debris which cause havoc to ocean life.

This particular gyre is twice the size of Texas and is located in the center of the North Pacific Ocean. But despite its size and density it is non visible from satellite photography or the naked eye due to the contents of very, very small pieces of plastic being suspended beneath the ocean surface.

The rotational pattern of the North Pacific Gyre draws in waste material from the ocean. Materials are captured by oceanic currents and wind driven surface currents which gradually move floating debris towards the center trapping of the region to create this garbage vortex.

This picture shows how trash (orange dots) entering the sea from land along the Pacific Coast is caught by the gyre. On its way the trash is concentrated and eventually ends up in one of the two shown vortices. As a consequence, in these areas, the surface water contains six times more plastic than plankton biomass (dry weight). - Green-Peace

http://reusablebags.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/06/greenpeace_trash_vortex.jpg