The North Pacific Gyre is the area amongst the Pacific in which trash is collected. Through the rotating vortex of this area, trash has formed into two major places. There is the Western and Eastern "garbage patches". A lot of this isn't even visisble until up close to the ocean's surface, because the majority is tiny pieces of plastic.
This area had gone completely unnoticed until Captain Charles Moore sailed through this area in the 1990's. As trash floated by him on his travels, he was able to gather that there was a problem in the ocean that nobody has known about.
These two locations have the largest and most noticable amount of trash, yet they are not the only places. Coastlines are also very clogged with trash as they are popular beach destinations to tourists and just people in general. Big boat areas have also been major sources of ocean trash, providing debri such as nets and ropes.
Trash is collected from everywhere around the world though, which is what is the cause to the major "garbage patches" in the ocean to begin with. With many locations contributing to this issue, the buildup of trash is only increasing in these areas. As time goes one these areas grow bigger as trash continues to add to them.
WHERE IS
IT LOCATED?
By Jessica Davis