South Pacific garbage patch

The South Pacific garbage patch is an area of ocean with increased levels of marine debris and plastic particle pollution, within the ocean's pelagic zone. This area is in the South Pacific Gyre, which itself spans from waters east of Australia to the South American continent, as far north as the Equator, and south until reaching the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.^[1] The degradation of plastics in the ocean also leads to a rise in the level of toxics in the area.^[2] The garbage patch was confirmed in mid-2017, and has been compared to the Great Pacific garbage patch's state in 2007, making the former ten years younger. The South Pacific garbage patch is not visible on satellites, and is not a landmass. Most particles are smaller than a grain of rice.^[3] A researcher said: "This cloud of microplastics extends both vertically and horizontally. It's more like smog than a patch".^[3]