Empowering action against plastic pollution
The 5 Gyres Institute focuses on reducing plastic pollution in our oceans through research. Programs concentrate on science, education and adventure, including organized research expeditions for citizen-scientists. Traveling the world’s oceans in search of plastic pollution, 5 Gyres was amongst the first organizations to formally research plastic in the world’s oceans. Informing the world about the threat about degrading plastics and their impact on both marine and human life.
A gyre is a large-scale system of wind-driven surface currents in the ocean. Their name derives from the five main subtropical gyres — located in the North and South Pacific, the North and South Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean — which are massive, circular current systems. The accumulation of plastic that form in these five gyres are a result changing winds and currents that trap plastic and other discarded waste floating around our oceans.
The 5 Gyres Institute is heroically leading the movement to protect our oceans, while defining a path toward a more sustainable future based on zero-waste culture and circular economies. Over 1,400 volunteer Ambassadors from around the world represent 5 Gyres in this effort. Together, we can all change the way the world uses and discards plastic.