Researchers calculate the magnitude of plastic waste going into the ocean
Thursday, February 12, 2015 - 14:00
in Earth & Climate
Ocean currents have been carrying floating debris into all five of the world's major oceanic gyres for decades. The rotating currents of these so-called "garbage patches" create vortexes of trash, much of it plastic. However, exactly how much plastic is making its way into the world's oceans and from where it originates has been a mystery—until now.