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In a 2001 study, researchers<ref name="natural history3">{{cite magazine|last=Moore|first=Charles|date=November 2003|title=Across the Pacific Ocean, plastics, plastics, everywhere|url=http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/htmlsite/master.html?http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/htmlsite/1103/1103_feature.html|magazine=[[Natural History (magazine)|Natural History Magazine]]|access-date=16 March 2022|archive-date=17 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817121204/http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/htmlsite/master.html?http%3A%2F%2Fwww.naturalhistorymag.com%2Fhtmlsite%2F1103%2F1103_feature.html|url-status=live}}</ref> found concentrations of plastic particles at {{convert|334,721|/km2|/sqmi|adj=pre|pieces}} with a mean mass of {{convert|5.1|kg/km2|lb/sqmi}}, in the neuston. The overall concentration of plastics was seven times greater than the concentration of [[zooplankton]] in many of the sampled areas. Samples collected deeper in the water column found much lower concentrations of plastic particles (primarily [[monofilament fishing line]] pieces).<ref name="moore20013">{{cite journal|last1=Moore|first1=C.J|last2=Moore|first2=S.L|last3=Leecaster|first3=M.K|last4=Weisberg|first4=S.B|year=2001|title=A Comparison of Plastic and Plankton in the North Pacific Central Gyre|journal=Marine Pollution Bulletin|volume=42|issue=12|pages=1297–300|doi=10.1016/S0025-326X(01)00114-X|pmid=11827116|bibcode=2001MarPB..42.1297M }}</ref> In 2012, researchers Goldstein, Rosenberg and Cheng found that microplastic concentrations in the gyre had increased by two [[Order of magnitude|orders of magnitude]] in the prior four decades.<ref name="GRC">{{cite journal |last1=Goldstein |first1=M. C. |last2=Rosenberg |first2=M. |last3=Cheng |first3=L. |year=2012 |title=Increased oceanic microplastic debris enhances oviposition in an endemic pelagic insect |journal=Biology Letters |volume=8 |issue=5 |pages=817–20 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2012.0298 |pmc=3440973 |pmid=22573831}}</ref>
On 11 April 2013, artist [[Maria Cristina Finucci]] founded ''The [[Garbage Patch State]]'' at [[UNESCO]] – Paris<ref>{{cite web |date=22 May 2019 |title=The garbage patch territory turns into a new state |url=http://www.unesco.org/new/en/venice/about-this-office/single-view/news/the_garbage_patch_territory_turns_into_a_new_state/#.U71u8fl_u9U |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911135638/http://www.unesco.org/new/en/venice/about-this-office/single-view/news/the_garbage_patch_territory_turns_into_a_new_state/#.U71u8fl_u9U |archive-date=11 September 2017 |access-date=5 November 2014 |publisher=[[UNESCO]]}}</ref> in front of Director General [[Irina Bokova]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Rifiuti diventano stato, Unesco riconosce 'Garbage Patch' |trans-title=UNESCO Recognizes Garbage Patch as State |url=http://www.rivistasitiunesco.it/articolo.php?id_articolo=2073 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103173331/http://www.rivistasitiunesco.it/articolo.php?id_articolo=2073 |archive-date=3 November 2014 |work=SITI |publisher=L'Associazione Città e Siti Italiani – Patrimonio Mondiale UNESCO |language=it |via=rivistasitiunesco.it |issn=2038-7237}}</ref> In March 2018, ''[[New Scientist]]'' published a prediction that the size was approximately 1.6 million square kilometers.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=March 31, 2018 |title=Pacific Garbage Patch fattens up |journal=[[New Scientist]] |page=20}}</ref>
== Environmental issues ==
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