Red and yellow areas indicate where scientists found high concentrations of plastic. About 83 percent of all the plastic debris collected was concentrated in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre, a part of the ocean bounded by a series of wind-driven currents, such as the Gulf Stream, that collectively flow clockwise around the subtropical North Atlantic. The gyre is marked by the black-line contour. Outside the contour, currents are strong; within the contour, water moves slowly, about 2 centimeters per second. (Courtesy of Chris Reddy, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)[back]
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