Captain Charles Moore came across the Great Pacific Garbage Patch 20 years ago, raising the alarm about the plastic pollution and the threat it posed to the ocean.
The North Pacific Gyre, as it's known, is just one of several systems polluting the world's oceans
He says after his most recent trip to the area this year it became clear that the quantities of plastic pollution so outweigh the life in the region that the consumption of micro-plastics is becoming dominant.
Captain Moore, who is the founder of Algalita Marine Research and Education, spoke with Don Wiseman.
Captain Charles Moore (left) and a crew member collect plastic from the South Pacific gyre. Photo: Supplied/ Algalita Marine Research