![]() ![]() Using computational modeling, The Ocean Cleanup is able to determine where hotspots - areas made up of higher concentrations of garbage that are formed by the circulating currents in the patch - are, and then place cleanup systems in these locations. Through active propulsion, a slow forward speed is maintained with the system. The system is made up of a long U-shaped barrier that directs the plastic into a retention zone at its far end. First, they create artificial coastlines where there are none. The solution is designed to concentrate the plastic, which then allows them to collect and remove large quantities. The nonprofit goes into detail as to how System 002 works. The Ocean Cleanup is focused on cleaning up 90% of the floating plastic pollution in the ocean and is developing and scaling technologies to try to achieve this goal. Researchers from The Ocean Cleanup have found that the patch is over 50 years old, and it includes items and fragments of items such as toothbrushes, water bottles, cell phones, plastic bags, and more. Due to the patch being in a widely dispersed area and consists mostly of microscopic particles (microplastics) in the upper water column, this means there’s low density that prevents the patch from being detected by satellite imagery or even casual boaters or divers in the area. The Western Garbage Patch extends east from Japan to the Hawaiian Island. The Eastern Garbage Patch is located between Hawaii and California. ![]() The patch is so big that it’s divided into two areas. The patch was first mentioned in a 1988 paper published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) after researchers measured neustonic plastic in the North Pacific Ocean and found high concentrations of marine debris growing in areas governed by ocean currents. The collection of plastic and floating trash originates from continents bordering the Pacific Rim - Asia, North, and South America. It’s an actual patch of garbage mixed with marine debris particles located in the center of the North Pacific Ocean. Some History On The Great Pacific Garbage PatchĪlso known as the Pacific Trash Vortex, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is exactly what you envision, only it’s not that visible. ![]() The video below captures just a few special moments of that celebration. In celebration of this milestone, a marine parade was coordinated to welcome the offshore crew in Victoria, BC, Canada. It officially announced that after the successful completion of its “ System 002” test campaign, The Ocean Cleanup achieved proof of technology and was ready to return to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to begin cleanup. The Ocean Cleanup shared some good news in October. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |