Furthermore, discarded fishing gear constitutes a major source of plastic pollution. Studies have shown that such waste makes up the bulk of massive garbage patches, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, floating between Hawaii and California.
Plastic Breakdown and Chemical Pollutants
Plastic pollution poses a threat to marine life and releases chemical pollutants into the ocean. Plastic items undergo a slow and arduous process of degradation, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces known as microplastics. These microplastics can then accumulate in the water column before eventually settling on the seafloor, reaching even the deepest parts of the ocean, such as the Mariana Trench.