Boaters mapping Pacific garbage arrive in San Francisco
Source: AP
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Scientists and volunteers who have spent the last month gathering data on how much plastic garbage is floating in the Pacific Ocean say most of the trash is medium to large-sized pieces, as opposed to tiny ones.
Volunteer crews on 30 boats have been measuring the size and mapping the location of tons of plastic waste floating between the West Coast and Hawaii.
Three of the boats, including a 171-foot mother ship, returned to San Francisco on Sunday.
Researchers say they hope to test out a 2-mile barrier to collect garbage near Japan. The ultimate goal is construction of a 60-mile barrier in the middle of the Pacific.
Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/a3d7315e980a428b9be66c020752e3b4/boaters-mapping-pacific-garbage-arrive-san-francisco
