Researchers are finding that ocean currents carry plastic pollution -- cigarette lighters, plastic bags and other trash -- from the world's coastlines to the middle of its oceans. Two experts answer your questions on the impact of plastic ocean pollution.
I've heard about this in the Pacific before, but is there a similar phenomenon going on in the Atlantic? If not then why not?
Charles Moore responds:
Yes, there are similar phenomena in all ocean basins. We are preparing to study the North Atlantic Gyre, also known as the Sargasso Sea. It is likely that all the Subtropical Gyres collect debris.
Holly Bamford responds:
Much of the research on oceanic movement and concentration of marine debris has focused on the Pacific Ocean possibly because these mechanisms lead to the accumulation, and thus impacts, of marine debris across the Hawaiian Archipelago. In particular, research has been done on the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone, a known area of debris accumulation in the N. Pacific. Additionally, perhaps due to the numerous protected species and resources within the Hawaiian Archipelago (e.g., endangered Hawaiian monk seal), research on threats, such as marine debris, tend to rise in priority.
This is not to say that marine debris in the Atlantic is not important. There has been research conducted and published on marine debris in the Atlantic, mainly data on ingestion in Atlantic species of sea turtles and seabirds or nearshore trawls for plastic particles. Still, there is a paucity of literature on marine debris in the high-seas Atlantic Ocean.
Much like in the Pacific there is a North Atlantic Gyre made up of four major currents - North Equatorial, Gulf Stream, North Atlantic, and Canary Current. There is also a North Atlantic Subtropical Convergence Zone (STCZ), however little to no research on debris concentration within this STCZ has been conducted.
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