The issue of plastics in the Atlantic has been ignored by the world’s media while they focus on the Pacific problem. Kara Lavender Law of the Sea Education Association released the figures at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Portland, Oregon. The findings are the result of a twenty year study.

The study used a research vessel to trawl the ocean for plastic, in what is being seen as the most extensive survey of its kind. Nets were dragged behind the vessel in order to capture surface matter. The survey took 6,100 tows to reach its conclusion and over half of the tows discovered surface plastic. Dr Lavender Law revealed that most of the plastic debris was small, only one centimetre across, and originated from common consumer products, such as plastic bags and bottles.

The largest and seemingly stationary area of plastic seems to be between 22 and 38 degrees North, and the maximum density is 200,000 pieces per kilometre square. While there does appear to be a concentration in certain areas, it is not clear exactly how much of the ocean this affects.

The effects of this spread of plastic are unclear, however researchers discovered evidence of sea-life consumption which can also affect bird life.

The film focuses on the problem of plastic litter in the oceans surrounding Hawai’i. About four-fifths of marine litter comes from land, swept by wind or washed by rain off highways and city streets, down streams and rivers, and out to sea. Nearly 90% of floating marine litter is plastic.

There are plenty more shocking statistics about our wasteful relationship with plastic on the film’s website, as well as plenty of information about the filmmakers (from the BBC’s acclaimed Natural History Unit), and action you can take to help clean up the world’s waters.

And if you want to take the message to your local community, you can also download the complete film.

This disgusting region of the ocean acts as a dustpan for plastic debris swept up by the Pacific Ocean currents.

The Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastic Expedition (SEAPLEX) left San Diego and travelled for six days to reach the densest regions of plastic accumulation, 1000 miles from land. There began 24-hour sampling, using tow nets to collect debris at a range of ocean depths.

Debris

Half-way through their trip the researchers discovered a large net entwined with plastic and marine animals. They also found plastic bottles containing a variety of biological inhabitants.

Most of the debris comprises tiny particles too small to see: plastic does not biodegrade into harmless particles; it’s broken down by sunlight into ever smaller pieces until it reaches a molecular level. Once it has disintegrated it enters the food chain of the local wildlife.

The scientists on this expedition were the first people to see the true scale of the nasty mess. “Finding so much plastic there was shocking,” said Miriam Goldstein, chief scientist, “How could there be this much plastic floating in a random patch of ocean — a thousand miles from land?”.

What can we do?

80% of the plastic pollution comes from the land. Some of it might come from big industrial polluters, but nevertheless it’s important we all do our bit. I’ve started to pick up a few pieces of litter after a surf session, and now I’m going to go one step further and start sending plastic I find on the beach back to the manufacturer using the Surfers Against Sewage ‘return to offender’ campaign, urging them to use less harmful packaging so products can biodegrade without putting wildlife at risk.