2008 North Pacific Gyre Expedition

Where does it end up?

86%

44% 43%

Animal impacts (Laist,1997)

Plastic Ingestion

PLASTIC

PLANKTON

Stomach contents

Results Total # of fish= 671

6 Species: Number % with ingested plastic

Astronesthes indopacifica 6 16

Cololabis saira 51 16

Hygophum reinhardii 43 23

Loweina interrupa 26 8

Myctophum aurolanternatum 460 37

Symbolophorus californiensis 74 56

In total 35% of these fish had ingested plastic

Junk Made From Junk

Plastic Particles Attract Chemicals In The Ocean

Chemical legacy

INDIAN OCEAN

NORTH PACIFIC

SOUTH PACIFIC SOUTH ATLANTIC

NORTH ATLANTIC

Plastic Pollution Accumulation Zones (Lebreton et al., Mar. Pol. Bul., 2012)

INDIAN OCEAN

NORTH PACIFIC

SOUTH PACIFIC SOUTH ATLANTIC

NORTH ATLANTIC

North Pacific Gyre N. Atlantic Gyre Indian Ocean Gyre South Pacific Gyre S. Atlantic Gyre

North Atlantic Expedition

North Atlantic Gyre

NORTH ATLANTIC GYRE

Indian Ocean Gyre

14,817,185km2

VPRO “Beagle” aboard the Stad Amsterdam

Indian Ocean Gyre

South Atlantic Gyre

South Atlantic Gyre

South Pacific Gyre – The Crew

SOUTH PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH

Easter Island – Before and after rock removal along coastline.

WHAT’S NEXT?

WHAT’S NEXT?

820 observed pieces – 98% were plastic

Buoys/floats 3%

Misc. line 2%

Misc. nets 2%

Other fishing gear 0%

Plastic frag. 43%

Bags/sheet/tarp 3%

Plastic bottles 7%

Jugs/buckets

4%

Styrofoam 20%

Other plastic 14%

Glass 1%

Other (boat, tire, baloon) 1%

Observed Debris

Buoys/floats

Misc. line

Misc. nets

Other fishing gear

Plastic frag.

Bags/sheet/tarp

Bottles

Jugs/buckets

Styrofoam

Other plastic

Glass

Other(boat, tire, baloon)

GARBAGE PATCHES AND HOTSPOTS

INDIAN OCEAN

NORTH PACIFIC

SOUTH PACIFIC SOUTH ATLANTIC

NORTH ATLANTIC

HOTSPOT HOTSPOT HOTSPOT

SOLUTIONS

RESPONSIBILITY

SMARTER APPROACH

BIOPLASTIC REUSABLES

WASTE TO ENERGY CRADLE TO CRADLE DESIGN

INNOVATION

LAWS TO CHANGE “THROW AWAY” CULTURE

LEGISLATION

LEGISLATION

Product Bans or fees Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Safer Chemicals/Green Chemistry

EDUCATION

SOCIAL MEDIA/CAMPAIGNS

GLOBAL MONITORING

THROUGH���CITIZEN SCIENCE

IF YOU HAVE A BOAT – LET’S TRAWL TOGETHER!

GET INVOLVED!

JOIN AN EXPEDITION

Bay of Bengal, 2013

Bay of Bengal

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