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 Have
you heard about the big soupy mess of plastics
that is floating somewhere in the Pacific Ocean?
No, it's not a joke. It's not a rumor. The
aggregation of plastic junk known as the Pacific
Gyre is caused by an oceanographic phenomena
known as a “Langmuir cell” – wind and
atmospheric pressure pushes sections of water
against each other and the water then seeps
downward. However, floating items – such as
plastic and plankton – will hover at this
juncture.
Find out more about Marine Debris and its
sources.
Part of the problem is the throwaway culture of plastics in our everyday lives, especially with products like single-use plastic bags. How many plastic bags do you use every year?
Plastic bags consumed this year:
Thousands of animals
die every year from ingestion or strangulation
by plastic, many on Monterey beaches. Not only
that, but studies have shown that this plastic
soup acts as a sponge for Persistent
Organic Pollutants or POPs which include heavy
metals and dangerous chemicals. In turn,
these POPs are entering our bodies
through the fish we eat!
Container ships
frequently lose containers and cargo overboard
in the middle of the ocean contributing to this
problem. As land mammals, we personally
contribute to this problem by recycling less
than 5% of the plastic products we consume and
littering our watersheds. Only 20% of marine
debris comes from lost fishing gear and shipping
sources – 80% originates in run-off from coastal
watersheds.
Interested to
know what can you do to help? Click to find out
what you can do about
litter pollution
including
4 Reasons
Why Marine Debris Is Everyone's Problem.
Living around the
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary has it's
benefits, but also its responsibilities. Great
conservation efforts happen locally around the
Monterey Bay through a variety of organizations.
Check out
the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundations
Educational And Outreach projects here.
Most importantly,
you can
protect the environment while you play.
Make sure that when you are out enjoying all
that our area has to offer, that you follow the
"pack it in-pack it out" policy. In other words,
if you bring it with you on your day of play,
make sure you take every piece back with you
that you did not consume.
Want some ideas of
fun things to do outdoors in the local area?
Click here for
Free and Fun
Local Environmental Activities.
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