The Challenge
Background
Oceanic garbage patches are collections of marine debris that come together due to ocean currents. The most well-known of these patches is commonly referred to as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” located within the area of the north Pacific between Hawaii and California. These “patches” are not islands of trash like many people believe, but concentrated areas of debris that exist anywhere from the water’s surface to the ocean floor, often not even visible when looking at that area of the ocean. Much of this debris is composed of microplastics which, despite being hardly noticeable, can have some of the most negative impacts on the ocean.
These garbage patches have devastating effects on marine life and pose significant threats to ocean ecosystems and humanity in extension. Your challenge is to formulate some key technologies, procedures, and approaches to be used in a mission to help clean up oceanic garbage. You can focus your mission on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or any of the other patches or debris in the world’s oceans. Use NASA Earth science data to 1) assist you in determining a location where your mission could have the most positive effects on the planet, and 2) help you figure out which type of debris to attempt to collect, and how to collect it.
Potential Considerations
For a more detailed and complete mission design, ensure that you consider effective ways to reach your target destination, as well as methods to ensure a sufficient mission “lifetime.” Additionally, for a huge environmental conservation effort such as this, attempt to be as environmentally friendly as possible. For example, you could strive to make your mission have little-to-no reliance on fossil fuels, or ensure that you think about procedures to limit the wastefulness associated with your mission.