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58-497: GPGP may refer to: Great Pacific Garbage Patch , or Pacific Trash Vortex, a rotating ocean current containing marine litter Generalized Partial Global Planning (computer science), see Task analysis environment modeling simulation (TAEMS) General-purpose computing on graphics processing units GpGp (software), see Comparison of Gaussian process software Glucosyl-3-phosphoglycerate phosphatase (GpgP), an enzyme Government by

116-536: A 2011 EPA report, "The primary source of marine debris is the improper waste disposal or management of trash and manufacturing products, including plastics (e.g., littering, illegal dumping) ... Debris is generated on land at marinas, ports, rivers, harbors, docks, and storm drains. Debris is generated at sea from fishing vessels, stationary platforms, and cargo ships." Constituents range in size from miles-long abandoned fishing nets to micro-pellets used in cosmetics and abrasive cleaners. A computer model predicts that

174-590: A 2019 study. Waterborne nurdles may either be a raw material of plastic production , or from larger chunks of plastics. A major concentration of plastic may be the Great Pacific Garbage Patch , a growing collection of marine debris known for its high concentrations of plastic litter. Nurdles that escape from the plastic production process into waterways or oceans have become a significant source of ocean and beach plastic pollution . Plastic pellet pollution that has been monitored in studies

232-564: A 2021 study, researchers who examined plastic from the patch identified more than 40 animal species on 90 percent of the debris they studied. Discovery of a thriving ecosystem of life at the Great Pacific garbage patch in 2022 suggested that cleaning up garbage here may adversely remove this plastisphere . A 2023 study found that the plastic is home to coastal species surviving in the open ocean and reproducing. These coastal species, including jellyfish and sponges, are commonly found in

290-714: A 30-day expedition in the gyre which continued the science from the 2009 expeditions and tested prototype cleanup devices. in July/August 2012 Ocean Voyages Institute conducted a voyage from San Francisco to the Eastern limits of the North Pacific Gyre north, (ultimately ending in Richmond British Columbia) and then made a return voyage which also visited the Gyre. The focus on this expedition

348-410: A hypothetical piece of debris from the U.S. west coast would head for Asia, and return to the U.S. in six years; debris from the east coast of Asia would reach the U.S. in a year or less. While microplastics make up 94% of the estimated 1.8 trillion plastic pieces, they amount to only 8% of the 79 thousand metric tons (87 thousand short tons) of plastic there, with most of the rest coming from

406-463: A mean mass of 5.1 kilograms per square kilometre (29 lb/sq mi), in the neuston. The overall concentration of plastics was seven times greater than the concentration of zooplankton in many of the sampled areas. Samples collected deeper in the water column found much lower concentrations of plastic particles (primarily monofilament fishing line pieces). In 2012, researchers Goldstein, Rosenberg and Cheng found that microplastic concentrations in

464-504: A series of events under the patronage of UNESCO and of Italian Ministry of the Environment. The Great Nurdle Hunt is a citizen science project that maps out plastic pellet pollution globally. The data collected is used to actively engage with industry and policy-makers to develop solutions to prevent further pellet pollution. Judith Selby Lang and Richard Lang as One Beach Plastic engage in wide range of artistic disruptions with

522-663: Is a garbage patch , a gyre of marine debris particles, in the central North Pacific Ocean. It is located roughly from 135°W to 155°W and 35°N to 42°N . The collection of plastic and floating trash originates from the Pacific Rim , including countries in Asia, North America, and South America. Despite the common public perception of the patch existing as giant islands of floating garbage, its low density (4 particles per cubic metre (3.1/cu yd)) prevents detection by satellite imagery , or even by casual boaters or divers in

580-542: Is a large and continuous patch of easily visible marine debris items such as bottles and other litter – akin to a literal island of trash that should be visible with satellite or aerial photographs. This is not the case. Further contrary to popular belief, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch cannot be seen from space. In a 2001 study, researchers found concentrations of plastic particles at 334,721 pieces per square kilometre (866,920/sq mi) with

638-476: Is determined by net mesh size, with similar mesh sizes required to make meaningful comparisons among studies. Floating debris typically is sampled with a neuston or manta trawl net lined with 0.33 mm [0.013 in] mesh. Given the very high level of spatial clumping in marine litter, large numbers of net tows are required to adequately characterize the average abundance of litter at sea. Long-term changes in plastic meso-litter have been reported using surface net tows: in

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696-643: Is mainly found in the sediments and beach areas and is usually polyethylene or polypropylene , the two main plastic polymers found in microplastic pollution. Nurdles have frequently been found in the digestive tracts of various marine creatures, causing physiological damage by leaching plasticizers such as phthalates . Nurdles can carry two types of micropollutants in the marine environment: native plastic additives and hydrophobic pollutants absorbed from seawater. For example, concentrations of PCBs and DDE on nurdles collected from Japanese coastal waters were found to be up to 1 million times higher than

754-484: Is related to the corporative expansion of large-scale plastic production. Like microbeads , preproduction plastic pellets can be released directly into the environment as a form of primary microplastic pollution. As more plastic is being produced, more plastic pellets are being deposited in waterways.   A study on a polyethylene production facility in Sweden found that between 3 and 36 million plastic pellets enter

812-460: Is responsible for cleaning up the spill. On 2 June 2021 the cargo ship X-Press Pearl sank off the coast of Sri Lanka , spilling chemicals and microplastic nurdles and causing the worst environmental disaster in the country's history. In January 2023, the French government announced it will be taking legal action against "persons unknown" in response to extensive plastic pellet pollution along

870-529: Is to remove half of the plastic pollution by 2027 using floating barriers anchored to the seabed. The same 2018 study found that, while microplastics dominate the area by count, 92% of the mass of the patch consists of larger objects which have not yet fragmented into microplastics. Some of the plastic in the patch is over 50 years old, and includes items (and fragments of items) such as "plastic lighters, toothbrushes, water bottles, pens, baby bottles, cell phones, plastic bags, and nurdles ". Research indicates that

928-564: The New Horizon and the Kaisei , embarked on a voyage to research the patch and determine the feasibility of commercial scale collection and recycling. The Scripps Institute of Oceanography's 2009 SEAPLEX expedition in part funded by Ocean Voyages Institute/Project Kaisei also researched the patch. Researchers were also looking at the impact of plastic on mesopelagic fish , such as lanternfish . In 2010, Ocean Voyages Institute conducted

986-637: The Sea of Japan , the researchers hypothesized that similar conditions would occur in other parts of the Pacific where prevailing currents were favorable to the creation of relatively stable waters. They specifically indicated the North Pacific Gyre. Charles J. Moore , returning home through the North Pacific Gyre after competing in the Transpacific Yacht Race in 1997, claimed to have come upon an enormous stretch of floating debris. Moore alerted

1044-548: The oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer , who subsequently dubbed the region the "Eastern Garbage Patch" (EGP). The area is frequently featured in media reports as an exceptional example of marine pollution . The JUNK Raft Project was a 2008 trans-Pacific sailing voyage made to highlight the plastic in the patch, organized by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation . In 2009, two project vessels from Project Kaisei /Ocean Voyages Institute;

1102-1077: The 26 tonnes originally aboard the Trans Carrier at the time of the incident, were released into the North Sea. This spill led to contamination in the Oslo Fjord and along the Swedish west coast, impacting about 700 coastal sites. During a thunderstorm on August 20, a 40-foot (12 m) shipping container with 25 tons of nurdles arriving from Asia fell off the CMA CGM Bianca ship into the Mississippi River in New Orleans. No official clean up took place. Hazardous material spills are in coast guard jurisdiction, but nurdles are not classified as hazardous material. The Department of Environmental Quality does not find it clear as to who

1160-502: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch using "System 002" and announced its transition to "System 03", which is claimed to be 10 times as effective as its predecessor. The group expects larger nets to enable it starting in 2024 to remove garbage faster than it is being deposited, and to clean up the entire patch within ten years. The 2012 Algalita/ 5 Gyres Asia Pacific Expedition began in the Marshall Islands on 1 May, investigated

1218-489: The North Pacific Subtropical Gyre in 1999, plastic abundance was 335,000 items per square kilometre (870,000/sq mi) and 5.1 kilograms per square kilometre (29 lb/sq mi), roughly an order of magnitude greater than samples collected in the 1980s. Similar dramatic increases in plastic debris have been reported off Japan. However, caution is needed in interpreting such findings, because of

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1276-504: The North Pacific, incorporating coastal waters off North America and Japan. As the material is captured in the currents, wind-driven surface currents gradually move debris toward the center, trapping it. In a 2014 study researchers sampled 1571 locations throughout the world's oceans and determined that discarded fishing gear such as buoys, lines and nets accounted for more than 60% of the mass of plastic marine debris. According to

1334-538: The People Green Party (GPGP), former name of the Green Party of South Africa See also [ edit ] GPG (disambiguation) PGP (disambiguation) GP (disambiguation) GP2 (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title GPGP . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

1392-447: The area. This is because the patch is a widely dispersed area consisting primarily of suspended "fingernail-sized or smaller"—often microscopic—particles in the upper water column known as microplastics . Researchers from The Ocean Cleanup project claimed that the patch covers 1.6 million square kilometres (620,000 square miles) consisting of 45,000–129,000 metric tons (50,000–142,000 short tons) of plastic as of 2018. Its goal

1450-625: The coast of Brittany that is thought to have originated from shipping containers lost in the Atlantic Ocean. Since December 2023, the coast of Galicia is facing an environmental crisis due to millions of tiny white plastic balls from the Liberian-flagged ship Toconao, which lost six containers off Viana do Castelo in Portugal . Of the 300 million tons of plastic material produced each year, over 14 million tons end up in

1508-477: The designing of the "System 001/B". In 2021, The Ocean Cleanup collected 63,182 pounds (28,659 kg; 31.591 short tons; 28.659 t) of plastic using their "System 002". The mission started in July 2021 and concluded on 14 October 2021. In July 2022, The Ocean Cleanup announced that they had reached a milestone of removing the first 100,000 kilograms (220,000 lb; 100 t; 110 short tons) of plastic from

1566-614: The environment from production sites every year. These nurdles spill during transportation and production and due to inadequate precautions and regulations, millions of pellets of plastic end up in nearby waterways and eventually the ocean. Nurdles are a major contributor to marine debris . During a three-month study of Orange County beaches researchers found them to be the most common beach contaminant. Nurdles on bathing beaches in East Lothian, Scotland have been shown to be covered with E. coli and Vibrio biofilms , according to

1624-493: The first collection system was deployed to the gyre to begin the collection task. This initial trial run of the Ocean Cleanup Project started towing its "Ocean Cleanup System 001" from San Francisco to a trial site some 240 nautical miles (440 km; 280 mi) away. The initial trial of the "Ocean Cleanup System 001" ran for four months and provided the research team with valuable information relevant to

1682-419: The fishing industry. A 2017 study concluded that of the 9.1 billion metric tons (10.0 billion short tons) of plastic produced since 1950, close to 7 billion metric tons (7.7 billion short tons) are no longer in use. The authors estimate that 9% was recycled , 12% was incinerated , and the remaining 5.5 billion metric tons (6.1 billion short tons) are in the oceans and land. In

1740-526: The gyre had increased by two orders of magnitude in the prior four decades. On 11 April 2013, artist Maria Cristina Finucci founded The Garbage Patch State at UNESCO  – Paris in front of Director General Irina Bokova . In March 2018, New Scientist published the prediction that the size was approximately 1.6 million square kilometers. In 2010, a conference at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) argued that whilst

1798-474: The important role the fishing industry plays in the global plastic waste issue. Predominantly, the composition of the hard plastic waste includes unidentifiable fragments, fishing and aquaculture gear such as fish boxes, oyster spacers, and eel traps and other plastic items associated with food, drinks and household items. They also represent a substantial amount of accumulated floating plastic mass. The 201 plastic objects analysed carried language writings with

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1856-473: The initial Project Kaisei cleanup initiative while testing a variety of cleanup prototype devices. In 2019, over a 25-day expedition, Ocean Voyages Institute set the record for largest cleanup in the garbage patch, removing over 40 metric tons (44 short tons) of plastic from the ocean. In 2020, over the course of two expeditions, Ocean Voyages Institute again set the record for the largest cleanup removing 170 short tons (150 t; 340,000 lb) of plastic from

1914-420: The larger, but more rare debris, they also overflew the patch in 2016 with a C-130 Hercules aircraft, equipped with LiDAR sensors . The findings from the two expeditions, found that the patch covers 1.6 million square kilometres (0.62 million square miles) with a concentration of 10–100 kilograms per square kilometre (57–571 lb/sq mi). They estimate an 80,000 metric tons (88,000 short tons) in

1972-403: The levels detected in surrounding seawater. Plastic microbeads used in cosmetic exfoliating products are also found in water. San Francisco Bay Coastal Cleanup from multiple nurdle spills. In Hong Kong , after being blown by Typhoon Vicente on 24 July 2012, some containers belonging to Chinese oil giant Sinopec which were carrying over 150 tonnes of plastic pellets were blown into

2030-472: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=GPGP&oldid=1256785905 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Great Pacific Garbage Patch The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (also Pacific trash vortex and North Pacific Garbage Patch )

2088-487: The most common languages identified being Chinese, Japanese, English and Korean, in that order. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch formed gradually as a result of ocean or marine pollution gathered by ocean currents . It occupies a relatively stationary region of the North Pacific Ocean bounded by the North Pacific Gyre in the horse latitudes . The gyre's rotational pattern draws in waste material from across

2146-515: The ocean is estimated to come from land-based sources, with the remaining 20 percent coming from boats and other marine sources. These percentages vary by region, however. A 2018 study found that synthetic fishing nets made up nearly half the mass of the Great Pacific garbage patch, largely due to ocean current dynamics and increased fishing activity in the Pacific Ocean." An open access study published in 2022 concluded that 75% up to 86% of

2204-451: The ocean, and plastic production is continuing to increase. Marine litter as a whole is imposing environmental threats to marine ecosystems and policy solutions are crucial to better the ocean. On April 11, 2013, in order to create awareness, artist Maria Cristina Finucci founded The Garbage Patch State at UNESCO in Paris in front of Director General Irina Bokova . It is the first of

2262-437: The ocean. The first 45-day expedition removed 103 short tons (93 t; 206,000 lb) of plastic and the second expedition removed 67 short tons (61 t) of plastic from the garbage patch. In 2022, over the course of 2 summer expeditions, Ocean Voyages Institute removed 148 short tons (134 t; 296,000 lb) of plastic ghostnets, consumer items and mixed plastic debris from the garbage patch. On 9 September 2018,

2320-445: The oceans each year. Plastic resin pellets are classified as primary microplastics, meaning that they were intentionally produced at sizes ranging from 1–5 mm in diameter (whereas secondary microplastics are created through photodegradation and weathering of larger pieces of plastic, like water bottles and fishing nets). Primary microplastics make up between 15% and 31% of the growing amount of marine microplastic pollution, which

2378-486: The patch is rapidly accumulating. The patch is believed to have increased "10-fold each decade" since 1945. The gyre contains approximately six pounds of plastic for every pound of plankton . A similar patch of floating plastic debris is found in the Atlantic Ocean, called the North Atlantic garbage patch . This growing patch contributes to other environmental damage to marine ecosystems and species. The patch

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2436-470: The patch posed a threat to the living conditions of mankind, it was controllable. In a conference at the IEEE in the following year, it was argued that the patch disrupts the balance of the original marine ecosystem and provides microorganisms with new biological conditions, leading to the development of a new ecosystem. In 2009, Ocean Voyages Institute removed over 5 short tons (4.5 t) of plastic during

2494-577: The patch, collecting samples for the 5 Gyres Institute, Algalita Marine Research Foundation, and several other institutions, including NOAA, Scripps , IPRC and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute . In 2012, the Sea Education Association conducted research expeditions in the gyre. The expeditions conducted 118 tows and counted nearly 70,000 pieces of plastic. 38°N 145°W  /  38°N 145°W  / 38; -145 Plastic resin pellet pollution Nurdles are

2552-413: The patch, with 1.8 trillion plastic pieces, out of which 92% of the mass is to be found in objects larger than 0.5 centimetres ( 3 ⁄ 16  in). NOAA stated: While "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" is a term often used by the media, it does not paint an accurate picture of the marine debris problem in the North Pacific Ocean. The name "Pacific Garbage Patch" has led many to believe that this area

2610-539: The plastic pollution is from fishing and agriculture with most identified emissions originating from Japan, China, South Korea, the US and Taiwan. The study analysed 6,093 debris items greater than 5 cm found in the North Pacific garbage patch, of which 99% of the rigid items by count and represented 90% of the total debris mass (514 kg) were plastics. These were later sorted, counted, weighed and their sources traced back to five industrialised fishing nations, suggesting

2668-517: The presence of two distinct debris zones. In March 2018, The Ocean Cleanup published a paper summarizing their findings from the Mega- (2015) and Aerial Expedition (2016). In 2015, the organization crossed the Great Pacific garbage patch with 30 vessels, to make observations and take samples with 652 survey nets. They collected a total of 1.2 million pieces, which they counted and categorized into their respective size classes. In order to also account for

2726-484: The problems of extreme spatial heterogeneity, and the need to compare samples from equivalent water masses, which is to say that, if an examination of the same parcel of water a week apart is conducted, an order of magnitude change in plastic concentration could be observed. In August 2009, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography / Project Kaisei SEAPLEX survey mission of the Gyre found that plastic debris

2784-523: The release of bright blue colored nurdles into Pocono Creek and the waterways of the Lehigh Valley , Pennsylvania. On February 23, 2020, the Trans Carrier ship, traveling from Rotterdam (Netherlands) to Stavanger (Norway), encountered severe weather conditions off the Danish coast. As a result, a container carrying polypropylene pellets sustained damage. Approximately 13.2 tonnes of nurdles, out of

2842-539: The sea, washing up on southern Hong Kong coasts, such as Shek O , Cheung Chau , Ma Wan and Lamma Island . Though nurdles are not toxic or hazardous on their own according to Sinopec, the spill disrupted marine life and is being credited with killing stocks of fish on fish farms. A nurdle spill of about two billion nurdles (49 tons) from a shipping container in Durban Harbor required extended cleanup efforts. These nurdles have also been spotted washing up on

2900-494: The second largest source of microplastics in the ocean. Approximately 27 million tonnes (60 billion pounds) of nurdles are manufactured annually in the United States. One pound of pelletized HDPE contains approximately 25,000 nurdles (approximately 20  mg per nurdle). They are typically under 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter. Worldwide, about 230,000 tonnes of nurdles are thought to be deposited in

2958-697: The shore in Western Australia . The Great Nurdle Hunt, which occurred June 2–5, 2017, across the United Kingdom drew attention to the issue of plastic pellet pollution. A program started by Fidra, a Scottish environmental charity, sourced information on nurdles from citizens across the region using shared photos to better understand the makeup of pollution across beaches in the UK. The nurdle hunts occurring earlier in 2017 determined that 73% of UK beaches had nurdle pollution. A semi-truck crash led to

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3016-564: The size of the patch is determined by a higher-than-normal degree of concentration of pelagic debris, there is no standard for determining the boundary between "normal" and "elevated" levels of pollutants to provide a firm estimate of the affected area. Net-based surveys are less subjective than direct observations but are limited regarding the area that can be sampled (net apertures 1–2 metres (3 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in) and ships typically have to slow down to deploy nets, requiring dedicated ship's time). The plastic debris sampled

3074-426: The surface, evading detection by aircraft or satellite. Instead, the size of the patch is determined by sampling. The estimated size of the garbage patch is 1,600,000 square kilometres (620,000 sq mi) (about twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France). Such estimates, however, are conjectural given the complexities of sampling and the need to assess findings against other areas. Further, although

3132-500: The western Pacific coast and are surviving alongside open-ocean species on the plastic. Some scientists are concerned that this mix of coastal and open-ocean species may result in unnatural or "neopelagic communities," in which coastal creatures could be competing with or even consuming open-ocean species. The size of the patch is indefinite, as is the precise distribution of debris because large items are uncommon. Most debris consists of small plastic particles suspended at or just below

3190-468: Was described in a 1988 paper published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The description was based on research by several Alaska -based researchers in 1988 who measured neustonic plastic in the North Pacific Ocean. Researchers found relatively high concentrations of marine debris accumulating in regions governed by ocean currents. Extrapolating from findings in

3248-501: Was present in 100 consecutive samples taken at varying depths and net sizes along a path of 1,700 miles (2,700 km) through the patch. The survey found that, although the patch contains large pieces, it is on the whole made up of smaller items that increase in concentration toward the gyre's centre, and these ' confetti -like' pieces that are visible just beneath the surface suggests the affected area may be much smaller. Data collected in 2009 from Pacific albatross populations suggest

3306-625: Was responsible for approximately 30% of worldwide plastic ocean pollution at the time. In 2017, the Ocean Conservancy reported that China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam dump more plastic in the sea than all other countries combined. Efforts to slow land generated debris and consequent marine debris accumulations have been undertaken by the Coastal Conservancy, Earth Day , and World Cleanup Day . According to National Geographic, "80 percent of plastic in

3364-594: Was surveying the extent of tsunami debris from the Japanese earthquake-tsunami. In 2015, a study published in the journal Science sought to discover where exactly all of this garbage is coming from. According to the researchers, the discarded plastics and other debris floats eastward out of countries in Asia from six primary sources: China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The study – which used data as of 2010 – indicated that China

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