Plastic Ocean was a project inspired by my interest in environmental sciences and my desire to help reduce pollution, focusing on ocean garbage patches. Many people don’t fully understand the impact that they have on the natural world, and our collective ignorance towards matters such as ocean trash can be just as harmful as pollutants, chemicals, and waste. I know that many people want to make a positive difference in environmental issues, and simply don’t know how to go about it. My aim is to educate those interested on such matters, so we can be proactive environmentalists who learn to make informed, “greener” choices.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is infamous for being a trash island the size of Texas and for accumulating plastic in the ocean that sea turtles get sick from eating. However, there is a lot more to it than what’s on the surface (pun intended). Plastics and microplastics add toxic chemicals into the water and disrupt crucial marine food webs. This causes harm to the ecosystems in the ocean, and it impacts a wider range of life than you might think. Our waters are truly becoming a plastic ocean. My project explores the creation of the garbage patches, how our waste habits add to them, and the impact they have on the earth, along with seeking methods to help reduce our “plastic footprint”.