Written by Danielle Salley, Four Green Steps

Environmentalists are baffled as to why the amount of trash found in the ocean has not been increasing.  Over the past 22 years, a study has revealed that discarded plastic trash has ended up floating into a junkyard in the Atlantic Ocean due to ocean currents.  The same occurs in the Pacific Ocean.  Nonetheless, since global production of plastics has increased considerably over time, scientists are mystified by a lack of subsequent increases in discarded plastics in these locations.  So where did all the trash go?

During the past 22 years, the study enabled collection of over 64,000 individual plastic pieces from 6,100 locations that were sampled.  That’s a hefty sum, and for good reason.  Plastic in the ocean can endanger wildlife, such as seabirds and turtles, which eat it or become ensnared.

Researchers have made annual trips to the Atlantic junkyard in order collect tiny bits of plastic.  By using plankton nets to skim the surface, they collect tiny pieces and students then pick out the pieces of plastic with tweezers. Although researchers know that the junkyard is located in the Atlantic at about the same latitude as Atlanta, the exact dimensions of the Atlantic junkyard are still unknown.

One researcher believes that the plastic may be, in fact, breaking into smaller pieces and then passing through the plankton nets.  Another theory is that biological growth on the plastic may be causing it to become more dense, thus sink deeper into the ocean where the nets miss it.

The fact is, wind patterns and ocean currents do not appear to have changed, and so with an increase in plastic production, it is logical to anticipate an increase in plastic collecting at the sites.  So, really, where is all the trash going?

Source: Globe and Mail

Image courtesy of Creative Commons

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