A team of researchers from a US Research Institute is about to head to the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch to spend a month analysing the impact of the garbage on the ecosystem.

It’s a set of circular currents in the North Pacific into which plastic rubbish that’s entered the sea from countries across the Pacific has gathered in high concentration.

The man credited with bringing the patch to the world’s attention is Captain Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Institute.

He says it’s grown substantially since he first noticed it in the late 1990s.

8 minute radio interview: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/pacific-beat/marine-researchers-battle-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch/1327458

Damn, I thought this was going to be about actually cleaning it up.

“A team of researchers from a US Research Institute is about to head to the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch to spend a month analysing the impact of the garbage on the ecosystem.”

Sounds like just a junket.

No, it’s an important research study. There are still widely divergent views about the extent of the problem and the best way to deal with it.

Bubblecar said:

No, it’s an important research study. There are still widely divergent views about the extent of the problem and the best way to deal with it.

Oh yes indeedy, heaps and heaps of research to be done, trips to be planned and organised.
Heaps of metrics to be taken and entered into a fancy spreadsheet and heaps of pie charts and coloured graphs to be generated.

rubs hands

Not heaps and heaps, just enough to obtain reliable basic data. Why you should think that’s a needless indulgence is mysterious indeed.

Shakes money into the dustbin

Set up a floating plastic recycling plant in the area & deal with the problem.

It could be set up & run just like an oil rig operation.

The_observer said:

Set up a floating plastic recycling plant in the area & deal with the problem.

It could be set up & run just like an oil rig operation.

… just without all the beauty contests……..

> analysing the impact of the garbage on the ecosystem

This is a fish nursery, absolutely essential for the survival of ocean ecosystems, and has a history of at least 400 million years, don’t muck with it.

mollwollfumble said:

> analysing the impact of the garbage on the ecosystem

This is a fish nursery, absolutely essential for the survival of ocean ecosystems, and has a history of at least 400 million years, don’t muck with it.

But we already are messing with it.