“The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” is proof of the extent of pollution in our oceans. It is a vortex of debris that covers an estimated surface of 1.6 million square kilometers. How big is that? Twice the size of Texas. With up to 2 million tons of plastic entering the ocean each year, experts estimate that 1.8 trillion plastic pieces are floating within the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Consequently, marine life in this area is exposed to various risks such as plastic ingestion, malnutrition, exposure to toxic chemicals, and plastic entanglement. As plastic enters the marine food web, the human food chain becomes vulnerable as well. But ocean benefits to humans go beyond the food chain. Needless to say, placing our seas in peril also endangers the human race.
When our very existence depends on the state of our waters, isn’t it time that we treat our oceans better?
