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2. What happens to plastic at sea
2.1 Transport
General ocean circulation has long been known, and is subject to a number of forces (Coriolis force, atmospheric circulation, weather patterns, etc.). These forces govern the movement of water masses with ocean currents of great amplitude and low speed, known as geostrophic currents, which influence the distribution of these small floating particles, which are then transported over very long distances.
in the north-east Atlantic, waste from the Bay of Biscay in Spain and Portugal is picked up by the general circulation and moved south-westwards, where it is picked up by the equatorial circulation, transporting it westwards where it accumulates in the North Atlantic Gyre.
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What happens to plastic at sea
Bibliography
Bibliography
Websites
GDR Polymers and Oceans. Members of the GDR Polymers and Oceans scientific committee, authors of the article https://www.gdr-polymeresetoceans.fr
Synthesis of cartographic data concerning plastics and waste at sea. United Nations Environment Programme
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The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference