The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Where is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

• San Francisco, California

• The North Pacific Gyre

• North America

• The Pacific Rim

How many pieces of garbage are in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

• 1.8 trillion pieces

• 80 million pieces

What causes a gyre to form?

• garbage flows from the Pacific Rim

• fish and sea turtles eat too much plastic

• water currents move around in a clockwise motion

• water currents move away from the center point

How did the garbage get there?

• Alaskan researchers found it there.

• It flowed there from the Pacific Rim.

• No one knows where it came from.

• Fishermen dumped it there.

What contaminates (makes dirty, or unhealthy) the waters?

• baby sea turtles

• small sea creatures

• recycled water bottles

• microplastics

Why are microplastics so dangerous?

• The microplastics carry a toxic chemical.

• The microplastics are sharp and hurt sea life.

• The sea life mistake the small objects for food.

• The microplastics are hot like pepper.

What is one factor that makes it hard to clean up?

• There is nowhere to put the garbage once collected.

• Scientists are using it for research.

• Too many nations are fighting to pay for it.

• The clean up nets could also catch small sea life.

Which of the following is NOT a way that we can help the Earth?

• recycle plastics

• use only plastic straws

• educate others on recyling

• don't litter