An aerial survey reveals unexpected number of plastic garbage found in the currents of Hawaii and California.
A modified C-130 Hercules aircraft flew over the large number of patch to take the density of the waste. Surprisingly, the density of the materials found in the great Pacific garbage patch was denser than previously imagined.
"Normally when you do an aerial survey of dolphins or whales, you make a sighting and record it." Boyan Slat, the founder of the Ocean Cleanup, told The Guardian. "That was the plan for this survey. But then we opened the door and we saw the debris everywhere. Every half second you see something. So we had to take snapshots - it was impossible to record everything. It was bizarre to see that much garbage in what should be pristine ocean."
Ocean Cleanup is a mission that was partially funded by the Dutch Government to rid the oceans of plastic pollution by 2020. The aerial survey was part of Ocean Cleanup Project to begin plastic cleanup in the heart of the patch where most of the plastic is concentrated. This was after the mapping expedition in 2015 using a fleet of boats that measured the density of the plastic pollution but showed inaccurate results.
"In order to solve the plastic pollution problem, it is essential to understand its dimensions," said the organization in a blog post. It was revealed in 2014 that the full scale of plastic garbage that was found in the Pacific Ocean has grown larger. Roughly more than 5 ton pieces of plastics were seen floating in the ocean. The great Pacific garbage patch has been steadily increasing and has spread wider from the first time it was discovered. In fact, plastic garbage has already taken great lakes such as Lake Erie. It is even estimated that by the year 2050, the volume of the plastic will outgrow the number of fish in the oceans.
It is a widespread environmental concern which affects the chain of food supply in the oceans. If this is not treated with urgency, we will soon feel the adverse effects of the plastic pollution in the great Pacific.
