The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, one of the five major plastic gyres in our oceans, covers an area of 620,000 square miles. What’s even more surprising: 46% of it is composed of ghost nets. These are fishing nets that were either lost or intentionally discarded at sea.

Every year, up to 1 million more tons of these nets end up in our oceans. They lose their purpose but not their function and pose a great danger to marine animals. Ghost nets haunt the oceans for centuries to come until they have decomposed into dangerous microplastics in 600-800 years – or until we do something about it!