National Geographic explains:
“An ocean gyre is a circular ocean current formed by the Earth’s wind patterns and the forces created by the rotationof the planet. The area in the center of a gyre tends to be very calm and stable. The circular motion of the gyre draws in debris. Debris eventually makes its way into the center of the gyre, where it becomes trapped and builds up. A similar garbage patch exists in the Atlantic Ocean, in the North Atlantic Gyre.
“Plastic products can be very harmful to marine life in the gyre. For instance, loggerhead sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish. And many marine mammals and birds, such as albatrosses, have become strangled by the plastic rings used to hold six-packs of soda together… As microplastics and other trash collect on the surface of the ocean, they block sunlight from reaching plankton and algae below.”
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Dead Albatross by Chris Jordan – where disposable lighters end up
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