The GPGP is homed halfway between California and Hawaii in the Pacific ocean. It’s 1.6 million square kilometers of mass is thanks to a combination of coastline pollution and a natural phenomenon. The reason the GPGP has culminated in this specific area is due to the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. This gyre is a system of rotating ocean currents that push marine debris to the center of this island. The GPGP first started forming in the 1970s and since has amassed to three times the size of France.

Roughly 75 percent of this islands debris is courtesy of the fishing industry. Cut up nets, fishing hooks, ropes, crates, and traps are part of what created this monster. There are groups such as The Ocean Cleanup that are currently making efforts to remove and reduce the effects that this man-made island is having on the ocean around it.

Many marine animals attempt to eat parts of the island confusing it for food. This is extremely dangerous to marine animals health as the accidental consumption can cause internal blockages and chemical toxicity. Exposing our sea life to this pollution allows millions of microplastics to enter their system and then ours in return.