Knowra Great Pacific Garbage Patch Great Pacific Garbage Patch A diffuse accumulation of floating and suspended human-made debris in the North Pacific, concentrated by ocean currents. It is not a solid island but a broad region where debris is more abundant.
North Pacific Subtropical Gyre : A large system of rotating ocean currents in the North Pacific, driven by winds and Earth's rotation. Its converging surface flows concentrate floating debris in the patch's broad region.
The Ocean Cleanup : A nonprofit organization developing technologies and programs to remove plastic from oceans and intercept it in rivers. Its expeditions and collection systems have targeted debris in the patch.
Entanglement of marine animals : The trapping of marine animals in fishing gear, plastic loops, and other debris. Discarded or lost gear in the patch can entangle wildlife that encounters it.
Plastic island : A misleading image of a continuous, solid mass of plastic floating on the ocean surface. The patch consists of dispersed debris across a vast area, not a traversable island.
Ekman transport : The net movement of water caused by wind stress and Earth's rotation, integrated through the surface layer. Wind-driven transport helps move floating material toward the gyre's convergence zone.
2018 Great Pacific Garbage Patch survey : A major aerial and sea-surface survey that estimated the patch's plastic abundance and composition. The survey documented large objects and fishing gear that surface sampling can miss.
Plastic ingestion by marine animals : The consumption of plastic fragments or objects by marine organisms, sometimes mistaken for food. Animals feeding in debris-rich waters can mistake plastic for prey.
North Atlantic garbage patch : A concentration of floating marine debris associated with the North Atlantic subtropical gyre. It is a similar accumulation formed in another ocean basin.
Ocean gyre : A large-scale system of circulating ocean currents driven by winds, Earth's rotation, and continental boundaries. The patch forms within one of the ocean's major circulation systems.
Ghost net : A fishing net that has been lost or abandoned and continues trapping marine life. Lost fishing gear makes up a substantial share of the patch's large, persistent debris.
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