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71-525: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (also Pacific trash vortex and North Pacific Garbage Patch ) 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

142-560: 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

213-407: 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

284-547: A larger audience, its estimated readership is over 400,000 people. Science is based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a second office in Cambridge , UK. The major focus of the journal is publishing important original scientific research and research reviews, but Science also publishes science-related news, opinions on science policy and other matters of interest to scientists and others who are concerned with

355-462: 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

426-817: A reduced fee. However, research articles published after 1997 are available for free (with online registration) one year after they are published i.e. delayed open access . Significant public-health related articles are also available for free, sometimes immediately after publication. AAAS members may also access the pre-1997 Science archives at the Science website, where it is called "Science Classic". Institutions can opt to add Science Classic to their subscriptions for an additional fee. Some older articles can also be accessed via JSTOR and ProQuest . The journal also participates in initiatives that provide free or low-cost access to readers in developing countries, including HINARI , OARE, AGORA , and Scidev.net . Other features of

497-541: A return voyage which also visited the Gyre. The focus on this expedition 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,

568-601: A study transect on North Beach, each day 17 to 268 new items washed up on a 10-metre section. Science (journal) Science is the peer-reviewed academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and one of the world's top academic journals. It was first published in 1880, is currently circulated weekly and has a subscriber base of around 130,000. Because institutional subscriptions and online access serve

639-495: A substantial amount of accumulated floating plastic mass. The 201 plastic objects analysed carried language writings with 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

710-731: A total of 3070 samples across the world to identify hot spots of surface level plastic pollution. The pattern of distribution closely mirrored models of oceanic currents with the North Pacific Gyre, or Great Pacific Garbage Patch , being the highest density of plastic accumulation. The other four garbage patches include the North Atlantic garbage patch between the North America and Africa, the South Atlantic garbage patch located between eastern South America and

781-539: 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

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852-451: Is a large risk to wildlife (and to humans) through plastic consumption and entanglement. The North Atlantic patch is one of several oceanic regions where researchers have studied the effects and impact of plastic photodegradation in the neustonic layer of water. Unlike organic debris, which biodegrades , plastic disintegrates into ever smaller pieces while remaining a polymer (without changing chemically). This process continues down to

923-427: Is affected by the consumption of plastic. Some instead find themselves tangled in larger pieces of garbage that cause just as much harm as the barely visible microplastics. Trash that has the possibility of wrapping itself around a living organism may cause strangulation or drowning. If the trash gets stuck around a ligament that is not vital for airflow, the ligament may grow with a malformation. Plastic's existence in

994-476: 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

1065-538: 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 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

1136-496: Is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which has the highest density of marine debris and plastic. The Pacific Garbage patch has two mass buildups: the western garbage patch and the eastern garbage patch, the former off the coast of Japan and the latter between California and Hawaii . These garbage patches contain 90 million tonnes (100 million short tons) of debris. Other identified patches include

1207-664: Is the journal of the AAAS, membership in the AAAS is not required to publish in Science . Papers are accepted from authors around the world. Competition to publish in Science is very intense, as an article published in such a highly cited journal can lead to attention and career advancement for the authors. Fewer than 7% of articles submitted are accepted for publication. Science was founded by New York journalist John Michels in 1880 with financial support from Thomas Edison and later from Alexander Graham Bell . (Edison received favorable editorial treatment in return, without disclosure of

1278-556: The North Atlantic Gyre , originally documented in 1972. A 22-year research study conducted by the Sea Education Association estimates the patch to be hundreds of kilometers across, with a density of more than 200,000 pieces of debris per square kilometer. The garbage originates from human-created waste traveling from rivers into the ocean and mainly consists of microplastics . The garbage patch

1349-575: The North Atlantic garbage patch between North America and Africa, the South Atlantic garbage patch located between eastern South America and the tip of Africa, the South Pacific garbage patch located west of South America, and the Indian Ocean garbage patch found east of South Africa listed in order of decreasing size. In 2014, there were five areas across all the oceans where the majority of plastic concentrated. Researchers collected

1420-484: 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 the area. This is because the patch is a widely dispersed area consisting primarily of suspended "fingernail-sized or smaller"—often microscopic—particles in

1491-516: The AAAS and executive publisher of Science , stated that the journal was becoming increasingly international: "[I]nternationally co-authored papers are now the norm—they represent almost 60 percent of the papers. In 1992, it was slightly less than 20 percent." The latest editions of the journal are available online, through the main journal website, only to subscribers, AAAS members, and for delivery to IP addresses at institutions that subscribe; students, K–12 teachers, and some others can subscribe at

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1562-552: The Coastal Conservancy, Earth Day , and World Cleanup Day . According to National Geographic, "80 percent of plastic in 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

1633-499: 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

1704-569: The North Pacific Gyre in the horse latitudes . The gyre's rotational pattern draws in waste material from across 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

1775-538: 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 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

1846-505: The North Pacific Ocean. Researchers found relatively high concentrations of marine debris accumulating in regions governed by ocean currents. Extrapolating from findings in 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

1917-489: 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

1988-520: The Pacific Ocean." An open access study published in 2022 concluded that 75% up to 86% of 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

2059-597: The Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The study – which used data as of 2010 – indicated that China 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

2130-448: 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 ". The North Atlantic garbage patch is a garbage patch of man-made marine debris found floating within

2201-502: 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 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

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2272-475: 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

2343-599: The early part of the 20th century, important articles published in Science included papers on fruit fly genetics by Thomas Hunt Morgan , gravitational lensing by Albert Einstein , and spiral nebulae by Edwin Hubble . After Cattell died in 1944, the ownership of the journal was transferred to the AAAS. After Cattell's death in 1944, the journal lacked a consistent editorial presence until Graham DuShane became editor in 1956. In 1958, under DuShane's leadership, Science absorbed The Scientific Monthly , thus increasing

2414-596: The editor of Science in 2000. Biochemist Bruce Alberts took his place in March 2008. Geophysicist Marcia McNutt became editor-in-chief in June 2013. During her tenure the family of journals expanded to include Science Robotics and Science Immunology , and open access publishing with Science Advances . Jeremy M. Berg became editor-in-chief on July 1, 2016. Former Washington University in St. Louis Provost Holden Thorp

2485-447: The financial relationship, at a time when his reputation was suffering due to delays producing the promised commercially viable light bulb.) However, the journal never gained enough subscribers to succeed and ended publication in March 1882. Alexander Graham Bell and Gardiner Greene Hubbard bought the magazine rights and hired young entomologist Samuel H. Scudder to resurrect the journal one year later. They had some success while covering

2556-491: 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

2627-416: 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

2698-522: 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

2769-471: 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

2840-642: The journal's circulation by over 62% from 38,000 to more than 61,000. Physicist Philip Abelson , a co-discoverer of neptunium , served as editor from 1962 to 1984. Under Abelson the efficiency of the review process was improved and the publication practices were brought up to date. During this time, papers on the Apollo program missions and some of the earliest reports on AIDS were published. Biochemist Daniel E. Koshland Jr. served as editor from 1985 until 1995. From 1995 until 2000, neuroscientist Floyd E. Bloom held that position. Biologist Donald Kennedy became

2911-420: 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

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2982-582: The mass of plastic marine debris. According to 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

3053-496: The meetings of prominent American scientific societies, including the AAAS. However, by 1894, Science was again in financial difficulty and was sold to psychologist James McKeen Cattell for $ 500 (equivalent to $ 17,610 in 2023). In an agreement worked out by Cattell and AAAS secretary Leland O. Howard , Science became the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1900. During

3124-539: The microplastics that were ingested by marine life. Oysters and clams are popular vehicles for human microplastic consumption. Animals who are within the general vicinity of the water are also affected by the plastic in the ocean. Studies have shown 36% species of seabirds are consuming plastic because they mistake larger pieces of plastic for food. Plastic can cause blockage of intestines as well as tearing of interior stomach and intestinal lining of marine life, ultimately leading to starvation and death. Not all marine life

3195-407: The molecular level. Some plastics decompose within a year of entering the water, releasing potentially toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A , PCBs and derivatives of polystyrene . As the plastic flotsam photodegrades into smaller and smaller pieces, it concentrates in the upper water column. As it disintegrates, the pieces become small enough to be ingested by aquatic organisms that reside near

3266-533: The most to the least, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Bangladesh, largely through the rivers Yangtze , Indus , Yellow , Hai , Nile , Ganges , Pearl , Amur , Niger , and the Mekong , and accounting for "90 percent of all the plastic that reaches the world's oceans". Asia was the leading source of mismanaged plastic waste , with China alone accounting for 2.4 million metric tons. The best known of these

3337-574: The ocean becomes cyclical because marine life that is killed by it ultimately decompose in the ocean, re-releasing the plastics into the ecosystem. Research in 2017 reported "the highest density of plastic rubbish anywhere in the world" on remote and uninhabited Henderson Island in South Pacific as a result of the South Pacific Gyre . The beaches contained an estimated 37.7 million items of debris together weighing 17.6 tonnes. In

3408-431: The ocean's surface. Plastic may become concentrated in neuston , thereby entering the food chain . Disintegration means that much of the plastic is too small to be seen. Moreover, plastic exposed to sunlight and in watering environments produce greenhouse gases , leading to further environmental impact. The 2017 United Nations Ocean Conference estimated that the oceans might contain more weight in plastics than fish by

3479-674: The ocean. Since as much as 70% of the trash is estimated to be on the ocean floor, and microplastics are only millimeters wide, sealife at nearly every level of the food chain is affected. Animals who feed off of the bottom of the ocean risk sweeping microplastics into their systems while gathering food. Smaller marine life such as mussels and worms sometimes mistake plastic for their prey. Larger animals are also affected by plastic consumption because they feed on fish, and are indirectly consuming microplastics already trapped inside their prey. Likewise, humans are also susceptible to microplastic consumption. People who eat seafood also eat some of

3550-432: 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,

3621-468: 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 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

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3692-468: 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

3763-494: 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 Garbage patch Within garbage patches,

3834-406: The patch, which poses entanglement and ingestion risks to animals using the Great Pacific Garbage Patch as a migration corridor or core habitat. With the increased amount of plastic in the ocean, living organisms are now at a greater risk of harm from plastic consumption and entanglement. Approximately 23% of aquatic mammals, and 36% of seabirds have experienced the detriments of plastic presence in

3905-410: 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

3976-676: The patch. Researchers were also looking at the impact of plastic on mesopelagic fish , such as lanternfish . In 2010, Ocean Voyages Institute conducted 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

4047-472: 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 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

4118-516: 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

4189-483: 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

4260-564: 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

4331-425: 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

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4402-471: The tip of Africa, the South Pacific garbage patch located west of South America, and the Indian Ocean garbage patch found east of South Africa. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (also Pacific trash vortex and North Pacific Garbage Patch ) 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

4473-521: 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 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

4544-450: 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 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

4615-696: The waste is not compact, and although most of it is near the surface of the ocean, it can be found up to more than 30 metres (100 ft) deep in the water. Patches contain plastics and debris in a range of sizes from Microplastics and small scale plastic pellet pollution , to large objects such as fishing nets and consumer goods and appliances lost from flood and shipping loss. Garbage patches grow because of widespread loss of plastic from human trash collection systems. The United Nations Environmental Program estimated that "for every square mile of ocean" there are about "46,000 pieces of plastic". The 10 largest emitters of oceanic plastic pollution worldwide are, from

4686-497: 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

4757-672: The wide implications of science and technology. Unlike most scientific journals , which focus on a specific field, Science and its rival Nature cover the full range of scientific disciplines . According to the Journal Citation Reports , Science ' s 2023 impact factor was 44.7. Studies of methodological quality and reliability have found that some high-prestige journals including Science "publish significantly substandard structures", and overall "reliability of published research works in several fields may be decreasing with increasing journal rank". Although it

4828-546: The year 2050. Some long-lasting plastics end up in the stomachs of marine animals. Plastic attracts seabirds and fish. When marine life consumes plastic allowing it to enter the food chain, this can lead to greater problems when species that have consumed plastic are then eaten by other predators. Animals can also become trapped in plastic nets and rings, which can cause death. Plastic pollution affects at least 700 marine species, including sea turtles, seals, seabirds, fish, whales, and dolphins. Cetaceans have been sighted within

4899-712: 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; 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

4970-581: Was named editor-in-chief on Monday, August 19, 2019. In February 2001, draft results of the human genome were simultaneously published by Nature and Science with Science publishing the Celera Genomics paper and Nature publishing the publicly funded Human Genome Project . In 2007, Science (together with Nature ) received the Prince of Asturias Award for Communications and Humanity. In 2015, Rush D. Holt Jr. , chief executive officer of

5041-498: 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

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