The GIS Institute is a non-profit with many focuses. One is on reducing, preventing and eliminating plastic waste in our oceans. This post first outlines the problem and where it is occurring the most. The epicenter of marine debris is the North Pacific gyre convergence zone, or better known as the “Pacific Garbage Patch (PGP).” The way the ocean currents run, most marine debris (mostly plastic) is brought to this area and can never leave. Recently, the PGP has gained national and world attention, along with the need to clean it up. It is such a massive undertaking but ideas are flying.
GIS is being introduced in the efforts. This post outlines how GIS can help. Once the data is gathered, it can be mapped and analyzed in ArcGIS. There is so much data and information attached to a collection of marine debris (along with GPS info) that it would need to be organized. With GIS, maps can be made to organize beach clean ups, create models depicting how it ends up out there, how we can prevent/reduce that, make future projections based on past events (like the 2011 tsunami). This information can be shared with the public and, perhaps, progress can be made.
Another aspect in which, GIS is being used in relation to marine conservation, is studying the impact on marine life. Sea turtles are common victims, but they are easily tracked! Attaching a tracking device to the shell of a sea turtle provides a wealth of data. That data can then be analyzed using ArcGIS. Steps can be taken, lessons can be learned and turtles can be saved!
Source: Stephens, Drew. “Gyres and Marine Debris.” The GIS Institute; Connecting People, Planet and Geotechnology. WordPress. Blog. May 30, 2013.
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