Great Pacific Garbage patch

Size of the GPGP

700,000- 15 million km2. That’s 3x the size of Spain and Portugal

Each square mile of the ocean water contains….

46,000 pieces of floating garbage

What is the GPGP

An area of marine debris in the North Eastern Pacific Gyre. It is filled by plastic and due to ocean currents, it has been trapped

In the Midway Islands

1.5 million Albatrosses have plastic in their digestive system and those in the nest, because the adult Albatross feed plastic to the young (1/4 of 20 tonnes fed to Albatross chicks)

How long does a disposable nappy take to degrade?

500 years

How can the GPGP affect ocean sequestration

Estimated annual losses of phytoplankton range from 15 to 30 million metric tonnes because phytoplankton are limited by microplastic

How much money lost from the accumulation of plastic

$2.5 million

What is “ghost fishing”

Lost of fishing gear trapping fish

Coral that has come into contact with plastic is…..

89% more likely to be diseased

Type of management>

“Ocean cleanup” - aims to clean up 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040

River managemtn?

Tackle 1000 rivers around the world which contributes to 80% of river pollution