Trash Removal

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean lies an enormous collection of floating garbage. It includes everything from lost fishing gear to microplastics, or pieces of plastic less than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) in diameter. Scientists call the area the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. From July 2021 to January 2022, the Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit based in the Netherlands, used a net strung between two boats to scoop about 44 tons of this waste from the sea.

The garbage patch formed as swirling ocean currents swept trash into a concentrated area. The debris poses a risk to marine life that can mistake it for food or become entangled in the larger items.

Still, many scientists have been critical of the Ocean Cleanup’s new system. They argue that this approach could harm a group of floating organisms known as neuston, which includes seaweed, jellyfish, and snails. Rebecca Helm, a biologist at the University of North Carolina Asheville, argues that more research needs to be done to understand how cleanup operations will affect this unique ecosystem.