Carried Away! - Physical Dispersal of Marine

Debris

Vertical distribution

Slide courtesy of Dr. Richard Thompson

HAWAII

AntarcticaFloating plastic bag

Tanzania New Zealand Beach cleanupBeach cleanup

Hawaii

United StatesCanadaCanada England, UKEngland, UK SwedenSweden

JapanJapan

PhilippinesPhilippines

ChinaChina

Litter left by touristsLitter left by tourists

VenezuelaVenezuela

HAWAII

AntarcticaFloating plastic bag

Tanzania New Zealand Beach cleanupBeach cleanup

Hawaii

United StatesCanadaCanada England, UKEngland, UK SwedenSweden

JapanJapan

PhilippinesPhilippines

HAWAII

Antarctica

HAWAIIHAWAIIHAWAIIHAWAII

Antarctica Tanzania New Zealand

Hawaii

United States

CanadaEnglandEngland Sweden

Japan

Philippines

ChinaChina

Venezuela

Air circulation• Warm air at

the equator rises

• Cold air at the poles sink

• Air circulation produces wind

Conclusions• Plastic is found from the surface to the

bottom of the ocean.• The rising of warm air at the equator

and the sinking of cold air at the poles produce wind.

• Winds blow across the surface of the ocean and create currents.

• Currents can transport debris far from their source in a short amount of time.