GIS Application: Marine Conservation

The type of GIS application that most peaks my interest is marine conservation.  This would fall into the conservation industry.  According to ESRI, "GIS is used around the world to acquire and manage oceanic data as well as analyze and map marine habitats, water quality, species distribution and population, species behavior, pollution, fishing grounds, and other factors that impact marine life. Esri’s ArcGIS software suite is a tool that helps visualize and understand areas in danger of biodiversity loss, habitat degradation, and resource depletion. It also aids in monitoring and examining the effectiveness of conservation practices and protected areas to ensure the preservation of the earth's oceans."

With this application, there are various problems that are addressed including habitat destruction, coral bleaching, sustainable fisheries and more.  It is nice that it is such a broad industry.  The one problem that I would love to focus on is the plastic distribution in the oceans.  GIS could be used to solve this problem by mapping and analyzing these areas. Where is it collecting (which gyres), how is it affecting marine life, what is being done, are those methods effective, what else can be done?

This is an example of plastic pollution mapping provided by Algalita - a marine research institute based in CA.

I have always had a love for the ocean.  I've known for a while that I want to do something to help protect it.  After doing some research on my own years back, I discovered how devastating plastics are and how large of a problem it is.  I would love to get involved using my GIS skills and discover ways to reduce and hopefully eliminate plastic pollution.

I want to learn more about the actual application of GIS in relation to plastic pollution in the oceans.  I want to find some case studies that have been done and see what kind of information it has produced.