Listed below are the links that tell the unfolding story of the Pacific North West Garbage Patch, Gyres and Marine Debris. I have been learning about this issue over the last year. There is clearly more and more compelling evidence that marine garbage and particularly plastics are a BIG PROBLEM. As more and more data is gathered, we gain a clearer picture of the health and environmental risks we face.
There are two people who have been pioneers in this area:
> Curt Ebbesmeyer, who has been tracking rubber ducks and Nike sneakers, among other things, since 1992.
> Captain Charles Moore – Founder of Alguita Marine Research Foundation in Long Beach, CA.
Reports of what these men have done are the most documented and tell a story of sad discovery. They have clearly been the champions of the issue of garbage and the poisions entering our food chain.
Most importantly, for me, as I create this blog, just today another crew brings back more garbage and information. See the Kaisei link listed below.
This environmental problem has my full attention. More to come.
Trashed: Across the Pacific Ocean, Plastics, Plastics, Everywhere, Moore’s first hand account of how he discovered the Garbage Patch and his subsequent journey.
Beachcomber Alert – Curt Ebbesmeyer’s site. Read the stories of the rubber ducks and Nike sneakers lost at sea
Curt Ebbesmeyer Profile in Ocean Motion with video interview
NPR ‘s Robert Siegel interviews Curt Ebbesmeyer in July of 2003
CDNN Plastic Ocean – The Great Pacific Garbage Patch – Important Reading
Cousteau Pacific NW Garbage Patch – Cousteau Society on the PNWGP
Flotsametrics and the Floating World – Review of Curtis Ebbesmeyer’s new book
Fake Plastic Fish: living life with less plastic – Take Beth’s challenge
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
FRONTLINE: poisoned waters | PBS – Originally aired April 21, 2009 Must See
Global Marine Litter Information Gateway
GOOD Garbage Patch Transparency
Great Pacific Garbage Patch – Zimbio
Greenpeace International The trash vortex
Kaisei – Capturing the Plastic Vortex – NY Times reports on Kaisei expedition and other marine debris issues. The Kaisei just returned from a voyage. Read what the SF Bay Guardian online had to report. NEW NEWS – Sept 2, 2009
Plague of Plastic Chokes the Seas – LA times article originally published June 21, 2006
National Geographic Lost Sea Cargo: Beach Bounty or Junk? – Originally published June 19, 2001
NOAA Marine Debris Program – National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
Plastic Soup » A selection of videos
Project AWARE – Divers conserving underwater environments
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project – search marine debris
Giant vortex of floating trash swirls in Pacific Aug 9, 2009 – Seattle Times
South Pacific Gyre report July 1, 2009
“Great Pacific Garbage Patch” The Planet Magazine – ARCHIVES – SPRING 2008 –
Seas of Shame – Australia – video