Tag: plastic debris

The Convention on Biological Diversity has published report highlighting that the number of marine species affected by marine debris has risen to 817 when effects such as ingestion, entanglement, ghost fishing, dispersal by rafting and provision of new habitat are all considered.

The governing bodies of the London Convention and Protocol, at their joint session held at the IMO Headquarters in London expressed concern around the issue of litter and plastics in the marine environment.

It is said that by 2050 there could be more plastics in the ocean than fish, if human habits don’t change. The India Clean Seas Conference took place in Goa, India during 22-24 September, with the aim to discuss what needs to be done to keep the oceans clean.

A recent report predicts that by 2050, there’ll be more plastic in the ocean than fish. One result is so-called ocean “garbage patches” like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which scientists have estimated to be about twice the size of Texas. Grace Hanley, OECD, suggests to start using plastic more responsibly.

Based on the oceanic circulation modelling work conducted in the Pacific, the IRD and CNRS researchers have recently shown that there are exit currents for these areas of the sea where these piles of waste build up. This means that they are not caught in a never-ending whirlpool in the middle of the ocean, as had been previously thought.

The Ocean Cleanup, based in the Netherlands, has launched a containment boom to be tested in the North Sea. The boom, which is 100 m long, is designed, produced and delivered by DESMI.

Every year 6.4 million tons of plastic are dumped into the ocean. 100,000 marine life die each year from plastic entanglement. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean.

The results of European Cleanup Day 2016 in Greece, which was coordinated by HELMEPA showed that cigarette butts and plastics are at the top of the list of litter items polluting our natural environment.

Eunomia has created an infographic which brings together some of the key findings from its recent research on the sources of marine plastics and includes a new estimate of annual global emissions of primary microplastics.

The founders of Seabin Pty Ltd have developed the "Seabin" a collector of floating waste in the fight against plastic pollution at its source. The Seabin Project aims to fight against water pollution by means of innovative technologies and educational activities for businesses, communities and individuals including the children.