ABSTRACT
The world’s oceans are characterized by a system of
large-scale rotating currents, called ‘gyres’. The ocean
systems are constantly moving as a result of the turning
of the earth and wind patterns. The five major gyres
are the Indian Ocean Gyre, the North Atlantic Gyre, the
North Pacific Gyre, the South Atlantic Gyre and the South
Pacific Gyre. If the ocean’s water is constantly moving
according to predictable patterns, so is the plastic pollution.
This led to the idea of a ‘passive cleanup’: using
an Array of floating barriers fixed to the sea bed to catch
the debris as it flows past on the natural ocean currents.