Unveiling the Mysteries of the Ocean Floor 🌊

Mapping the Uncharted Depths 🌐

This map shows all parts of the ocean floor that have been mapped out. And as you can see, it more shows just how much of the oceans we haven’t properly studied. The dark areas represent parts of the ocean floor where there are no high-quality maps available. Filling in these missing gaps is important for a plethora of reasons, including better understanding ocean waste. But it has turned out to be an enormous challenge.

The Journey of Oceanic Waste ♻️

If you throw a piece of plastic garbage into a river or sea at a certain place in the world, is it possible to estimate where this piece will eventually end up? While we can’t predict it precisely, we can make an educated guess based on data collected by buoys dropped into the sea. For instance, many floating pieces of plastic often end up in the North Atlantic Garbage Patch, where much of the ocean’s floating garbage is concentrated. This patch was identified using trackable buoys released by scientists from the US Weather and Oceanography Authority since 1979.

Garbage Patches: Floating Reality 🗑️

The concept of garbage patches, large clusters of floating debris, is often misunderstood. They are not large trash islands but areas with high concentrations of plastic waste. The North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, South Pacific, and North Pacific (the largest garbage patch) are identified as major garbage patches, formed due to the circulating ocean currents known as gyres.

Research and Exploration 🚢

To better understand these garbage patches, a large ocean research expedition on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was carried out.

Surprisingly, scientists discovered that 99.9% of the trash found is plastic. They approximated that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch contains 79,000 tonnes of floating plastic waste, with fishing nets comprising a significant portion.

Deep-Sea Litter: The Unseen Problem 🏞️

Estimations by the UN Environment Program revealed that only 15% of marine litter floats on the water’s surface. Another 15% washes up on beaches, while a staggering 70% ends up on the seabed. Very little information is available about this submerged litter due to the seabed’s inaccessibility.

Mapping the Ocean Floor: Challenges and Techniques 📡

Various techniques are employed to gather data about seafloor waste:

Bottom Trawlers
– Identifies both large and small pieces of waste
– Highly invasive, risking harm to marine life

Optical Mapping
– Videos or photos sequences of the seafloor are captured by divers, attached cameras, or underwater vehicles
– Dependent on water clarity and light availability

Sonar Technology
– Uses echosounders under ships to map the ocean floor
– Faster mapping but with lower resolution at greater depths

These methods contribute to mapping the seabed and improving computer simulations of waste movements.

The Seabed 2030 Project: A Vision for the Future 🌍

The Seabed 2030 project was launched to compile all seafloor data from various organizations around the world to map the entire ocean floor by 2030. Minimum resolution requirements have been set, although deeper parts of the ocean have slightly lower standards due to the limitations of sonar mapping depth.

Global Efforts for Ocean Cleanup 🌐

The TeamSeas initiative aims to tackle marine litter by raising $30 million to remove 30 million pounds of plastic and trash from oceans, rivers, and beaches. Collaborating with The Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup Project, TeamSeas guarantees that each dollar donated equates to one pound of trash removed from the water.

This collective effort can make a significant impact on our oceans, showcasing how the internet community can contribute to genuine, positive change.

Conclusion: The Importance of Oceanic Mapping 🧭

Understanding the seafloor helps in various aspects of research, from climate forecasts and tsunami predictions to marine waste modeling. However, mapping the ocean floor at high resolution remains a daunting task. As we progress with projects like Seabed 2030 and support initiatives like TeamSeas, we can hope for a future where our oceans are cleaner and better understood.

Let’s support these remarkable efforts to protect and preserve our oceans, ensuring they remain vibrant and healthy for generations to come. 🌊✨