Plastic vs. plankton in the world's oceans

Capt. Charles Moore of Algalita Marine Research Foundation highlights the problems of plastic pollution in the ocean.

Mon, Jun 08 2009 at 5:21 AM EST

Today is World Oceans Day ... a day to commemorate, honor, learn about and protect these amazing global resources. It's also a day when we should take a closer look at just how our modern society impacts the ocean. Captain Charles Moore is the founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, an organization dedicated to studying and raising awareness about the levels of plastic polluting our world's oceans.

Moore founded the organization after a 1997 yacht race from California to Hawaii. On his return voyage, Captain Moore veered from the usual sea route and saw an ocean he had never known, "there were shampoo caps and soap bottles and plastic bags and fishing floats as far as I could see. Here I was in the middle of the ocean, and there was nowhere I could go to avoid the plastic." Ever since, Captain Moore has dedicated his time and resources to understanding and remediating the ocean's plastic load.

What Moore found was what is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a swath of plastic in the North Pacific Ocean estimated to be twice the size of Texas. Through his research and that of other scientists studying this pollution problem, Moore discovered that on the surface of the ocean, plastic actually outweighs plankton and the coastal ocean has more plastic than plankton near the bottom.

It's easy to believe that plastics just disappear when we toss them in the trash can or even in the recycling bin. But that's simply not the case. Moore's disturbing research shows just how much these plastics have impacted the marine environment.

Don't forget, today is the day to "Wear Blue and Tell Two," in support of World Oceans Day. Tell me what you're doing to live blue today and you could win a free organic T-shirt.