There are environmental phenomena that, by their size and impact, surpass the boundaries of common understanding. One is known as the “seventh continent”: a gigantic spot that occupies an area in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii. Although invisible to satellites, its existence is real and increasingly alarming. We are facing one of the biggest warning signs about the environmental crisis in the oceans.
A discovery by chance that changed everything
It was in 1997 that US captain and oceanographer Charles Moore came across an unexpected landscape. As he returned from a race for the Pacific, he sailed for seven days between plastics, bottles, nets and other waste to the drift, tells Iberdrola. The scene was so shocking that it led him to alert the scientific community. From there, the world became known the large Pacific garbage island.
Today, this mass of waste covers about 1.6 million square kilometers, ie three times the size of France, and contains about 80 thousand tons of plastic, according to the same source.
A ‘continent’ invisible to satellites
Despite its length, the island of garbage is not visible from space. This is due to the fact that 94% of the waste is microplastic, fragments with only a few millimeters that result from the degradation of larger plastics. These pieces are scattered on the surface of the ocean, forming a kind of constant plastic soup.
This concentration is formed in the subtropical gyrus of the North Pacific, a circular oceanic current that acts as a giant swirl, accumulating floating waste.
Where does so plastic come from?
The main responsible for this accumulation are terrestrial effluents and industrial fishing residues, the source mentioned above refers. Abandoned networks, strings, traps and other equipment constitute a large part of the objects found. Maritime traffic also has a portion of guilt through the trash thrown into the sea by boats.
According to a study published in the journal Nature in 2018, most of the objects found had inscriptions in Asian languages, such as Japanese and Chinese. The oldest fragment dated from the late 1970s.
A devastating impact on marine life
Plastic accumulation has serious consequences for marine animals. Thousands of birds and marine mammals die every year for ingesting plastic, often confused with food, or being trapped in networks and strings to drift.
In 2016, a FAO report alerted to the presence of microplastics in about 800 sea species, including fish, mollusks and crustaceans. These waste enter the food chain and can end up in our dishes.
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A threat to human health
The ingestion of microplastics by marine animals has a direct reflection in human food, refers to the aforementioned source. A study by Greenpeace and the National University of Inceon, South Korea, revealed that 90% of salt marks tested worldwide contained microplastics.
The true impact of prolonged consumption of these waste on the human body is not yet known, but experts warn of long -term risks.
Initiatives that try to reverse the problem
According to Iberdrola, the discovery of this “continent” of plastic led to the creation of several initiatives to reduce marine waste and raise awareness.
Among them is the Plastic Free Waters, in the United States, which brings together public and private institutions to remove plastic from the coastal waters. 4Ocean, created in 2017, is committed to removing half a kilo of ocean garbage for each product sold. To this day, they have collected over 1,900 tons of waste in 27 countries.
Another innovative solution is Seabin, a type of floating container that collects plastics, oils and other waste in ports and marinas. Developed by Australians, it has already removed more than 55 tons of trash from the seas.
A global problem, with local solution
The “seventh continent” is only the most visible face of a problem that affects all oceans. The accumulation of plastics and floating waste represents a threat to the environment, biodiversity and even human health, refers to.
Despite the size of the challenge, each gesture counts. Reducing the use of disposable plastics, properly recycling and supporting marine cleaning initiatives are concrete steps that can make a difference. The recovery of the oceans also goes through our daily choices.
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