Real-world example of water pollution: Great Garbage Patch

Greetings!
Today, we are going to look at a very large example of pollution in Earth’s water. It’s called the Great Garbage Patch. It is a massive collection of trash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and that collection grows because ocean currents bring garbage to that location (the Pacific Gyre) from all around the ocean all the time. Most of the trash is plastic, which you have likely learned by now does not break down like organic material. Animals in the ocean get caught in the trash and suffocate, or they mistake trash for food, leading them to death from ingesting it.

Check out the digital poster below. Then watch the video that talks more in depth about the Great Garbage Patch. You’ll be responding on a discussion board today.

Visual

Visual

Click on the video below.

Assignment

Respond to the following questions on the Discussion Board:

What state does the digital poster use as a reference point for the size of the Great Garbage Patch?
Why is the Great Garbage Patch an issue for the health of Earth’s oceans?
What else do you think could be done to help reduce the amount of trash in the Great Garbage Patch?

Click NEXT to go to the Discussion Board.

Video link: https://gpb.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/kqedq11.sci.plasticinthepacific/plastic-in-the-pacific/

[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION