Why does the text make a comparison to the state of Texas? to provide a perspective of the square mileage of the Great Pacific G
arbage Patch with a recognizable area of comparable size to show how far the Great Pacific Garbage Patch extends below the surface of the ocean by demonstrating its depth to develop the focus of the information with an awareness of the particular geographic region around the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to enable a clear understanding of the expansive size of Texas by using the Great Pacific Garbage Patch as a model
Ocean plastic can persist in sea surface waters, eventually accumulating in remote areas of the world’s oceans. Here we characterise and quantify a major ocean plastic accumulation zone formed in subtropical waters between California and Hawaii: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). Our model, calibrated with data from multi-vessel and aircraft surveys, predicted at least 79 (45–129) thousand tonnes of ocean plastic are floating inside an area of 1.6 million km2; a figure four to sixteen times higher than previously reported. We explain this difference through the use of more robust methods to quantify larger debris. Over three-quarters of the GPGP mass was carried by debris larger than 5 cm and at least 46% was comprised of fishing nets.
