Far out in the Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and California, a wide patch of water has been changing color over the past two decades, becoming significantly bluer and greener. It may sound inviting, but scientists have discovered there may be a disturbing reason for it: increasing plastic pollution.
This part of the ocean is called the Great Pacific Garage Patch. It’s a swirling soup of plastic trash made up of everything from old fishing nets to food and drink packaging. People often think of it as vast islands of visible waste, but in reality, much is made up of tiny fragments called microplastics, many too small to be seen by the naked eye.
