HEADLINE MISSION: WATER 40 OCEAN GYRE INFOGRAPHIC GYRE GARBAGE Scientists estimate that 8 MILLION METRIC TONS of plastic trash enters the sea from land each year – the equivalent of 5 plastic bags filled with trash for every foot of coastline around the world. 2 At this rate, the World Economic Forum suggests by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish, by weight. 3 A GYRE is a large system of circular ocean currents formed by global wind patterns and the forces created by Earth’s rotation.1 These systems help circulate our ocean waters around the globe. The 5 MAJOR OCEAN GYRES are the: Northern Atlantic, Southern Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, and Indian. These natural phenomena act similar to whirlpools, pulling in debris towards their center. This includes natural debris as well as plastics. Out of Sight, Out of Mind FIVE MAJOR OCEAN GYRES Cold Current Warm Current North Pacific Indian South Pacific North Atlantic south Atlantic