<P> It is thought that, like other areas of concentrated marine debris in the world's oceans, the Great Pacific garbage patch formed gradually as a result of ocean or marine pollution gathered by ocean currents . The garbage patch occupies a large and relatively stationary region of the North Pacific Ocean bound by the North Pacific Gyre (a remote area commonly referred to as the horse latitudes). The gyre's rotational pattern draws in waste material from across the North Pacific Ocean, including coastal waters off North America and Japan . As material is captured in the currents, wind - driven surface currents gradually move floating debris toward the center, trapping it in the region . </P> <P> There is no strong scientific data concerning the origins of pelagic plastics . In a study published in 2014, researchers sampled 1571 locations throughout the worlds oceans, and determined that discarded fishing gear such as buoys, lines, and nets accounted for more than 60% of the mass of plastic marine debris . According to a 2011 EPA report, "The primary source of marine debris is the improper waste disposal or management of trash and manufacturing products, including plastics (e.g., littering, illegal dumping)... Debris is generated on land at marinas, ports, rivers, harbors, docks, and storm drains . Debris is generated at sea from fishing vessels, stationary platforms, and cargo ships ." Pollutants range in size from abandoned fishing nets to micro-pellets used in abrasive cleaners . Currents carry debris from the west coast of North America to the gyre in about six years, and debris from the east coast of Asia in a year or less . </P> <P> A 2017 study conducted by scientists from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the University of Georgia, concluded that of the 9.1 billion tons of plastic produced since 1950, close to 7 billion tons are no longer in use . The authors estimate that only 9 percent got recycled over the years, while another 12 percent was incinerated, leaving 5.5 billion tons of plastic waste littering the oceans and land . </P> <P> Another recent Australian study focused on the high rate of seafloor plastic pollution, thereby highlighting an often overlooked aspect of oceanic plastic pollution . The researchers from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania stated that "while the huge volume of plastic debris accumulating in the world's oceans and on beaches has received global attention, the amount of plastic accumulating on the seafloor is relatively unknown ." </P>

Where are the five great garbage patches located