Algalita Marine Research Foundation dedicated to the GPGP

When people read about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), it’s typical that they are picturing huge pieces of floating plastic easily visible to the human eye, stretching out from horizon to horizon as far out as can be seen. People picture a huge blanket of all different sizes and shapes of plastic bobbing up and down, so thick that the ocean water cannot be seen. Sights like this are relatively sparse; you might not see visible pieces at any particular location. But, there are little pieces of plastic that can’t be seen unless you scoop up samples of seawater. These are the plastic pieces that are more detrimental to marine life. There has been some previous research on the garbage patch but still, many questions remain. Experts are packing up and sailing the seas in hopes of finding answers to the mysterious garbage patch.

Algalita Marine Research Foundation (AMRF) is one of the most prominent forces in research regarding the garbage patch. They are based out of Long Beach California and have provided over 10 years of marine research, education and restoration. AMRF is currently focused on one of the most under recognized and yet ever-present issues facing our planet. They are at the forefront of the investigation into plastic pollution and are examining both the scope/quantification of plastic contamination and the implications on the food chain considering both marine life and humans.

The ORV Alguita set sail as the first vessel to sample surface waters of the contaminated area. Also, the people behind AMRF were the first to develop a standard methodology for sampling, and processing samples, of ocean surface micro-plastic debris. Their voyages back out to the NPGP during the summer of 2009 were done in hopes of gathering data that will expand upon what we already know.

They are finding that very little can be done to directly fix micro-plastic pollution. The exclusive economic zone of the U.S. extends 200 miles in all directions from the U.S. coastline, marking the jurisdiction of U.S. federal environment management agencies. Outside of this area, they are not mandated to mitigate negative environmental impacts to protected species and to the environmental wealth of the country. Meaning, the oceans open waterways are a difficult place to justify governmental spending on research or cleanup efforts, unless it impacts the U.S. Economy.

As a result, direct sampling of the garbage patch must come from nonprofit groups like AMRF until the issue is present enough to bring about change in what has become a great tragedy affecting our marine life in every which way. AMRF has a great website listing all kinds of information regarding their journey, route, findings, progress, and donation information: http://algalita.org/index.html

AMRF also has their own blog you can follow at: http://www.orvalguita.blogspot.com/

AMRF has made huge progress in battling the GPGP and we would not know what we do now without them. With their dedication and smarts, we may come to a conclusion on how to organize a massive clean up attempt and reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans for good.