5 Gyres
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.A Partnership between Algalita Marine Research Foundation
The Algalita Marine Research Foundation (AMRF) is a recognized authority in the study of plastic marine debris in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Plastic marine debris in the North and South Atlantic Gyres, South Pacific Gyre, and Indian Ocean Gyre, has received little attention relative to the greater studied North Pacific Subtropical Gyre.
What we know about the Pacific Ocean is that micro-
Anna Cummins and Marcus Eriksen of 5 Gyres
after a Bermuda beach cleanup.
plastic particles accumulate in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre at an accelerating rate doubling by weight in a decade. We have found micro-plastic particles inside fish that forage in these accumulation zones. There are unanswered questions about the fate of the smallest plastic particles, the impact of micro-plastics on fish, and the spatial/temporal characteristics of plastics in other oceanic gyres. These questions arise from studies in the North Pacific Ocean. There are five subtropical gyres in the world. We have recent data from only one.
The 5 Gyres project is a partnership between Algalita, in association with Pangaea Exploration. Algalita is the research arm of the project. All of the samples that are collected will be analyzed by Algalita and the data and research will be published under our name. Samples will be collected by using travel trawls, manta trawls that have been specially developed for portability during these global journeys.
Guiding the research of all these expeditions are these two questions:
- “What is the surface abundance of plastic marine debris?”
- “Are surface foraging fish ingesting micro-plastic particles?”
By conducting research in all the world's major gyres, The 5 Gyres project is an opportunity for AMRF to maintain its authority on research about plastic marine debris and its impact on marine ecosystems. While Algalita will obtain data from around the world, 5 Gyres will communicate this data with another cycling and boat building tour, similar to the recent Junk Raft and Junk Ride projects.
For more information specific to each voyage, please visit these pages:
North Atlantic Gyre Expedition - US Virgin Islands to Azores via Bermuda (January 7 - February 13, 2010)
Indian Ocean Gyre Expedition - Perth, Australia to Port Louis, Mauritius (March 16 - April 4, 2010)
South Atlantic Gyre Expedition - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Cape Town, South Africa (Nov. 1 - Dec. 1, 2010)
South Pacific Gyre Expedition - Chile to Tahiti via Easter Island (April 15 - June 5, 2011).
Ready for an adventure?
Opportunities to join the South Atlantic Gyre and South Pacific Gyre expeditions as crew on Pangaea Exploration's Sea Dragon may still be available.
Contact the Algalita office for more information.
Visit the 5 Gyres website >>
Nikolai Maximenko's model predicts the accumulation zones for ocean debris in the five gyres.
The 5 Gyres team is using this model as an aid in route planning.
