Journey Description

Journey Summary:

On June 10th 2009, I (Andrew Wheeler) will be rejoining the crew of the Algalita Marine Research Foundations 50ft Ocean Research Vessel, Alguita, occupying the 6th and final position as Videographer/Crew/Correspondent as it embarks on a 2 month voyage to sample and study the North Subtropical Gyre a.k.a. “Pacific Garbage Patch”.

We will be sailing the research catamaran from Long Beach Ca. across the Pacific, across the International Dateline to sample regions of reported high plastic concentrations, northwest of the Hawaiian Islands.

We will arrive in Hawaii after 5-6 weeks to for a short stop and then head out for 2 more weeks to an area near Midway Atoll for further study.

During the voyage I will be shooting HD video of all aspects above and below the water. Every part of the journey will be video documented from the scientific study to personal crew accounts and everything in between.

This will be my 2nd time aboard the Alguita to the North Pacific Gyre so I will have a reference point from 7 years ago of which to compare data results and my collective experiences.

We will also be relaying content information regarding our voyage (photos and findings) back to sponsors and other educational organizations. This can be used to show green project involvment. Ship to Shore Blog

ORV Alguita Blog

Significance of Journey

The importance of generating awareness of this issue cannot be debated. At the current rate of increased plastic build up in the gyre and rate of toxins released by the plastic, leaves little time to find a solution before irreversible damage is done to our global marine food supply and ocean health. The severity of this issue can really be seen when comparing what I witness in 2002, of pelagic filter feeders ingesting plastic, to the recent reports of plastic found in fish large enough for human consumption.

Time Line

The voyage runs from June 10th - Mid Aug

• The 1st leg of the voyage is from Long Beach to Hawaii beginning Jun 10 - July 25.
• The 2nd leg goes from Hawaii to somewhere near Midway Atoll for 2 weeks, then returning to Honolulu where I will be disembarking somewhere near the middle of August.