A one-off spill of oil as in the Gulf of Mexico, trains the eye of the world on the issue of ocean pollution, and activates a chain of responses and mitigation planning. But what of pollution, perhaps even more insidious, which accumulates almost unseen over time, until it can be termed a "floating continent of debris"?
The New Zealand Herald reports that scientists and conservationists have identified a massive garbage patch in the North Pacific, in which Oceanographers have since suggested that perhaps 100 million tonnes of plastic are held in suspension in those waters. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10659298
A critical assessment of the extent of the problem can be obtained from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a United States federal agency focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere. http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/patch.html
Although the agency downplays some of the more extreme claims made in relation to the garbage patch, upon reading the supporting information, it becomes clear that slow, accumulating pollution is causing significant harm to ocean ecosystems around the globe, and this type of problem becomes particularly evident in areas such as eddies and convergence zones where debris can accumulate.
