When we last spoke with them, most of the staff of the non-profit 5 Gyres were either out of the office or on their way out -– way out. They typically travel onboard a 72-foot boat called the Sea Dragon. At the time, they were sailing through something known as the South Pacific gyre.
So, how is this for painting a picture? A gyre is like the spinning motion of toilet bowl that never flushes – a vortex. There are five major subtropical gyres, which is how the organization came upon its name. They’re caused by the confluence of major ocean currents and they often trap things like giant mats of kelp or seaweed where marine life comes to feed. Increasingly they’re filling with plastic trash.
Sadly, we know there are mountains of plastic floating in the ocean. And we know that this plastic is lethal to marine life and toxic to humans. What we don’t really know is the information that will help develop solutions to the problem. This is where 5 Gyres comes in. By documenting the kind and amount of plastic in all 5 gyres, they are demonstrating that oceanic plastic pollution is a global issue and not one just confined to the North Pacific, which was what people originally thought.
The amount of plastic pollution in the ocean can seem daunting, the kind of problem that could make a search for a needle in the haystack seem simple by comparison. But Sara Close, the development director for 5 Gyres said that all of us don’t have to be sailing the high seas to make a difference. “The more folks talk about the issue, bring it up in conversation, encourage their companies to get involved, and personally lead by example through changing their behavior and advocating for policy changes, the better chance we have for a more long-term solutions-oriented effect.”
If interested, there are numerous ways to get involved with 5 Gyres. You can connect with them on Facebook, and follow their journeys around the world on their blog. As with other non-profits doing great work, it’s possible to donate and support their mission financially. And there is another way to get involved! Apparently, at different times, there are spots open on some of their expeditions. They are even working on ways to use technology to connect with classrooms across the globe to talk about 5 Gyres, the world’s oceans, and possible solutions. “You can really see in the kids faces and hear through their stories that they understand the issue and they want to change the world,” Close says. “It’s magical. It gives us hope.”
For more information about this awesome organization, please click here: http://5gyres.org/ and http://www.facebook.com/5gyres