On June 23, Ocean Voyages Institute made history after its team removed 103 tons (206,000 pounds) of consumer plastics and fishing nets from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GYRE), also known as the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone.
The 48-day expedition set a new record with the largest at sea clean up in the GYRE to date, more than doubling its results from last year’s 25-day voyage.
Mary Crowley, the founder of Ocean Voyages Institute, said:
I am so proud of our hard-working crew. We exceeded our goal of capturing more than 100 tons of toxic consumer plastics and derelict ‘ghost’ nets—and in these challenging times, we are continuing to help restore the health of our ocean, which influences our own health and the health of the planet.
Crowley is well-known for developing successful methods to remove significant amounts of plastic debris out of the ocean. In 2019, the team removed 48 tons (96,000 pounds) of plastics during two ocean clean-up trips.
Aboard their ship, S/V KWAI, the team used GPS satellite trackers (designed with engineer Andy Sybrandy, of Pacific Gyre Inc,) to locate accumulated trash. Fishing nets are tagged and then drift off to other fishing nets or density of debris within a 15-mile radius, allowing the tracker to find clusters of garbage.
Crowley explained:
We are utilizing proven nautical equipment to effectively clean-up the oceans while innovating with new technologies. Ocean Voyages Institute has been a leader in researching and accomplishing ocean clean-up for over a decade, granted with less fanfare and attention than others, but with passion and commitment and making meaningful impacts.
Honolulu-based Matson helped with preparation for upcycling and proper disposal of the collected ocean trash. The team is dedicated to 0% of the debris to end up in the landfills and is ensuring that all of it gets sorted out and sent to recycling companies to turn into energy, insulation, or other useful materials.
Matt Cox, chairman, and CEO of Matson said:
In keeping with our commitment to environmental stewardship, Matson has been searching for a way to get involved in cleaning up the Pacific. We’ve been impressed with the ground-breaking efforts of Ocean Voyages Institute and the progress they’ve made with such a small organization, and we hope our support will help them continue this important work.
On June 28, Ocean Voyages Institute launched a second 25-30-day journey to continue collecting debris from the area. However, its length of stay could be extended depending on donations and fundraising via PayPal or their website.
Crowley added:
There is no doubt in my mind that our work is making the oceans healthier for the planet and safer for marine wildlife, as these nets will never again entangle or harm a whale, dolphin, turtle, or reefs.
In the future, they plan to expand to other parts of the world that need a major clean-up, so that no more creatures have to die.
