The Ocean Blog
Witness to a Plastic Invasion
Plastic trash floats in the waters off the Smithsonian's Carrie Bow Cay field station, in Belize.
It blew in for two solid days: a flotilla of plastic forks, soda bottles, rubber gloves, and other refuse. I tried to pick everything up off the beach, but when I turned around, you couldn’t tell that I had cleaned at all. When we went out in the boats, we had to go slowly in order to dodge the debris. Eventually the tide came in and swooped it all away.
I was at the Smithsonian Marine Research Station on Carrie Bow, a small island on the southern end of Belize. My colleagues and I discussed where the garbage could be coming from. This area is very remote and the trash was blowing in from the open ocean. Based on the wood and pumice (volcanic rock that floats) that was mixed in with the plastics, our best guess was that a heavy rainstorm washed the debris into the ocean.
On the way back from a short dive, to collect some data, I approached a mass of plastic floating in the water. I still had plenty of air in my tank and battery time on the video camera, so I dropped into the water and sunk below the debris.
From underneath, it looked like a huge, swirling monster. The bright colors of the plastic were backlit from the sun above. I swam up to the trash slowly and shoved my camera straight into it. Underwater photography is difficult because everything moves: the subject and the shooter. Once I was inside this swirling mass of trash, I concentrated solely on trying to stay steady.
It was only later that I was able to really see what I filmed. I was struck by the contents – all items I personally use at home and mostly plastics. I tried to think of how I could rid my house of plastic. I even contemplated buying a cow (so I would never need to buy another plastic container of milk or yogurt).
This experience transformed me in ways that I hope watching this video will transform you. I now see plastics everywhere and try to avoid them. I have plasticware in my house, but I reuse it. If I see plastic trash on the street, I go out of my way to pick it up. No, that is not my plastic water bottle rolling around on the sidewalk, but I will pick it up because it is my planet.
Editor's Note: For more information about marine debris, check out this guest blog post on the problem of plastic pollution, read about a floating trash pile that's the size of Texas, and find out how you can help keep waters and beaches clean.
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i wonder
i wonder where the plastic on the outer beaches of belize comes from , perhaps haiti? i recently was talking to a worker on one of the islands and he stated why clean it up , only more will come ashore tomorow. still i have a plan but it means hauling bags of debris to the landfill on the mainland. so many conundrums these days.
Submitted by olerary (not verified) on Mon, 01/21/2013 - 2:15am.The Invasion - my corrections!
Such a plethora of comments to your lovely article and images. The amazing video of what you found in the waters off Belize made me queasy on several counts! Personal note: I'm so proud to have a daughter who is so caring of our environment and is such a fine writer! Love you, Mom
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/22/2012 - 11:21am.The Alien Garbage Invasion
Such a pelethera of heartfelt comments to your article/video/images of what you found in thwaters of Belize. Personal note: I'm proud to have a daughter who is so sinciteful, caring, and is such a fine writer! Mom!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/21/2012 - 12:11pm.Good article. Very thought
Good article. Very thought provoking.
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 01/08/2012 - 1:01pm.Never have I seen an issue
Never have I seen an issue draw such naive, knee-jerk responses as the "ocean plastic" issue. The moment most people see plastic trash in the ocean, rational thought, apparently, disintegrates. All the stuff you saw in the ocean at one point proved a valuable, possibly lifesaving tool for someone. If it was a detergent bottle then it didn't shatter on the floor and leave shrds of glass that an infant might crawl through. If it was a plastic fork then maybe it prevented the spread of disease by being clean and sanitary right out of the package. The point is, why not try to make a difference by engaging in activities that help more of the world better recycle and recover trash? Figuring out how you can stop using plastic in your house is not going to stop 1million people in some third world country from dumping all of their trash in the street.
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 12/29/2011 - 12:13am.Im not entirely against
Im not entirely against plastic, since you are right there are some benefits. The main problem the is the life cycle of the current common plastic. It's true that plastic disintegrates when it is on the water but it takes too long. The main problem is that it attracts contaminants and because of its bright colors animals often confuse them with food. The minute they start eating this the whole food chain gets messed up!
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 7:06pm.Just to think some of those
Just to think some of those plastic forks could be mine... never buying or using it again! I think we need to stop making all this plastic, but they will never stop while people is buying it, so I guess we just gotta stop consuming it, right? is everyone with me on this? I am reusing my plastic fork every day from now on in the office instead of picking up one every day, definitely, it is like the minimum that I could ever do after watching this, obviously I will do more than that! But we have to manage this planet to stop, soon enough, making DISPOSABLE PLASTIC OBJECTS that we can sure live without that, and not sure we can survive with it.
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 12/28/2011 - 2:49am.did you clean up the plastic
did you clean up the plastic after you filmed it?
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 11/27/2011 - 10:37pm.if not, then question yourselves
Hey Anonymous - She said in
Hey Anonymous - She said in her piece that she picked up plastic after plastic after plastic all morning and barely made a dent. Once you are in a boat, there's a limit to how much you can pick up. Last time my husband and I were out in the gulf, we filled up every compartment in the boat, and there was still tons of plastic. It's frustrating and exhausting.
This video can help educate and inform more people- which would be a bigger contribution than picking up another small piece of the endless masses of plastic in our oceans. I'm sure that they did pick it up, but even if they didn't get every piece I'm sure they tried.
@BrookeBF
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 12/13/2011 - 12:57pm.I'm with you! Ira rather
I'm with you! Ira rather easy to say "they filmed it but did they pick it up?" I'm going out to pick some stuff up before it reaches the ocean. We should all do it, were all responsible to look after ourselves so we can help keep our planet, our home clean and help one another, but as I said it starts with us.
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 03/23/2012 - 7:57pm.Yeah! its right
Yeah! its right
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 12/26/2011 - 10:04am.I think that our National
I think that our National Guard and our Navy should be helping to clean up all this plastic waste while their out at sea floating around. I mean they say there here to serve and protect and in the end what are they really doing with our tax dollars?
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 11:37pm.They are big offenders
They are big offenders themselvers...large ships dump tons of waste in the open ocean.
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 01/06/2012 - 3:44pm.Agreed. How is it that we
Agreed. How is it that we can spend trillions and employ thousands of our countries devoted men and women to stand on guard defending against an invisible enemy and we can't deploy them to fight against global issues like pollution that confront us every day?
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 7:19pm.Good for you! This is such a
Good for you! This is such a terrible site to see, I have on occasion picked up plastic that others have litter, but not as much as I should have and I will now.
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 2:14pm.It is time to change... it is
It is time to change... it is time to wake up and realize we are hurting ourselves and destroying mother nature which in the end kills us!!!! HELLO PEOPLE... no more of this....
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 11:47am.Egads, who do we think we
Egads, who do we think we are? What will it take for us to wake up and see the damage we are doing?
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 09/02/2011 - 1:29pm.---- Islandgirl1975
you've done a good thing
you've done a good thing here. thank you. to the troll who wants you to pick it up (because a journey begins with blah, blah, blah), i say you've DONE that, looked back only to find you've not dented it. it's a huge job FOR EVERYONE.
anywho, thanks much for this eye-opener. i'd heard about this plastic "island," but seeing it broke my heart.
-joan, falls church, virginia
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 2:27am.If I could make EU law it
If I could make EU law it would be to make all food packaging biodegradable making it more economic for companies to do it worldwide.
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 08/16/2011 - 5:27pm.For some above comments, yes
For some above comments, yes there is a way to convert plastic back into a liquid hydrocarbon form. It's pretty simple, but not available on a large scale yet. Though the resulting oil can be burned as a fuel, that just moves the pollution to the air. Another option is to grow oyster mushrooms or some other wood growing fungus within a hydrocarbon soaked pile of compost.
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 08/15/2011 - 11:36pm.The fungal mycelium are able to break hydrocarbon chains and turn them into carbohydrate sugars.
I think it's a simple solution: liquify the plastic gyres and feed the oil to huge fungal farms to remove this waste from the planet entirely.
I was raised on Ambergis
I was raised on Ambergis Caye, Belize- and this is all too familiar, it's very sad.
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 08/15/2011 - 5:07pm.Humanity was the worst thing
Humanity was the worst thing to ever happen to this planet.
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 08/12/2011 - 5:16am.Instead of taking video of it
Instead of taking video of it start picking it up! A journey starts with a single step.
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 08/11/2011 - 2:51am.Hey Guys, I was using
Hey Guys,
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 08/10/2011 - 6:45pm.I was using stumbleupon and came across the ocean portal... I remember trying to find errors on this page... anyways its great to see how the web is starting to get the word out to people that may not otherwise have information on the subject.
-Parker Semler
I understand that the plastic
I understand that the plastic is mostly blown in from the cities.
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 08/09/2011 - 5:15am.Thank you for your comments!
Thank you for your comments! The song that is being played in the background of the video is "Your Flowers" by Stefano Bonacina
-The Ocean Portal Team
Submitted by Ocean Portal Team on Mon, 08/08/2011 - 12:09pm.No, the earth has recovered
No, the earth has recovered from many tragedies before with new species evolving so I don't worry about being the only living species eventually. Certainly, we will be the means to our own end though and eventually humans are going to drown in their own waste.
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 08/07/2011 - 2:08pm.Very moving! However, I
Very moving! However, I wonder why you make no mention or obvious attempt at cleaning up any of the debris that you were filming?!
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 9:48pm.Wow, very thought provoking.
Wow, very thought provoking. What is the song being played?
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 8:45pm.Excellent article. Great
Excellent article. Great imagery! Thank you for posting.
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 08/05/2011 - 9:08am.someone better find a way to
someone better find a way to use plastic as a renewable energy source.
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 08/04/2011 - 11:30am.(No subject)
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 9:24pm.plastic isnt renewable. its
plastic isnt renewable. its made from oil
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 9:22pm.They have. You can turn
They have. You can turn plastic into diesel, but it takes a lot of energy and the burning of this fuel is just as bad emission wise as any other hydrocarbon. If they could only perfect fuel cells that run on diesel...
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 08/10/2011 - 1:01pm.The big question is why is
The big question is why is municipal garbage dumped into the ocean in the first place?
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 08/03/2011 - 8:37pm.This is so sad, we are
This is so sad, we are killing so many living things, one day we are going to regret it, when we realize that sooner or later we will be the only living spicie. RECYCLE & CONSERVE... :)
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 08/02/2011 - 5:15pm.This makes me want to cry.
This makes me want to cry.
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 08/01/2011 - 10:10pm.Yes, use less and then,
Yes, use less and then, recycle, recycle, recycle!
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 06/22/2011 - 12:18pm.thank you for the heart you
thank you for the heart you have for our planet, and you tried to reduce the amount of the rubbish that some careless people throw all over the place not thinking about the its consequences that they will later face in the future. i am very proud of you and of what you have done. i hope all of us human understand and know what they are doing that are contributing to destroy our beautiful ocean. frm leirana wolem, ni-vanuatu.
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 05/30/2011 - 9:24pm.Julia, We are glad that you
Julia,
We are glad that you learned something about marine debris! To help you with your blog you can check out NOAA's Marine Debris website to learn more about the subject. Good luck!
-The Ocean Portal Team
Submitted by Ocean Portal Team on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 7:11am.I never knew that there was
I never knew that there was so much trash in the ocean! It is scary to me to think that day and night there is yuckey garbage polluting the ocean! I am going to try to make and post a blog just about ocean pollutions too, so it will also be puplished worldwide for everyone to see!
-Julia
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 05/11/2011 - 10:20pm.julia you really show how
julia
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 2:07pm.you really show how much you care about the ocean.you are right are ocean really needs are help.
When I first saw tis, I was
When I first saw tis, I was shocked! This summer I am going to talk with my parents to see if I can go up their and try hard to clean up as much as I can, so there will be at least a bit less trash. It is my new nightmare!!!!
-Julia
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 10:52pm.There is an embed code
There is an embed code located under the video so you can share the it!
-The Ocean Portal Team
Submitted by Ocean Portal Team on Wed, 05/04/2011 - 9:55am.Awesome! can i get a link to
Awesome! can i get a link to download it?
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 4:11am.Brilliant video, Laurie,
Brilliant video, Laurie, accompanied by a perfect soundtrack. Quite moving in its simplicity.
After watching, I was struck by almost the exact same series of feelings as you. First, the recognition of the startling familiarity of the items in that patch of garbage, followed by a sick feeling as I recalled how many times I've eaten a meal using a plastic fork which immediately went into the trash when I was finished, occasionally for the simple convenience of not having to go to the effort of washing my utensils.
The next realization was how much plastic is in my house, the sting of my environmental conscience softened slightly by the fact that I, too, reuse as many as possible of the containers I purchase for other things after I empty the original contents: toring or sharing leftover foods, homemade BBQ sauces and rubs, and other similar purposes.
Finally, the urge to make a stronger effort to avoid plastic in general as much as I can.
Keep up the good work and keep fighting the good fight. I'm forwarding this to many of my friends.
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 04/30/2011 - 6:50pm.impressive footage. do you
impressive footage. do you know our flyer on this matter?
http://www.deepwave.org/images/downloads/deepwave_marineplastic_report.pdf
and my former blog entry here..
yurs Inno
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 04/28/2011 - 9:35pm.thanks so much,nice
thanks so much,nice post,video is also the easy one method for explanation
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 04/28/2011 - 8:38am.I am thinking it may have
I am thinking it may have been from a high tide, pulling the stuff back to sea off of the beaches. Stuff that floats in from all over the Caribbean. I have looked into the concept of plastics recycling in Belize, and I may be mistaken, but from what I understand, although some plastics are collected, none are recycled in Belize. I see this as an opportunity for Belize, if environmental organizations could band together to help develop a system for collection and support local plastics remanufacturing into composite building materials. There are limited building materials in Belize and much of its wood products need to be shipped in from afar. This concept could tackle many environmental issues simultaneously, and could perhaps be a solution that Smithsonian could participate in.
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 2:21pm.That is so cool! Great going
That is so cool! Great going Laurie!
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 2:14pm.