Context

This large systems map (i.e., “gigamap”) was created to illustrate the complexity of ocean plastic. With global economic forces and over a century of momentum, we are on track to having more plastic in the ocean than fish within the next few decades. How did we get here? Ocean plastic is in a category known as a “wicked problem” (W.J. Rittel and Melvin M. Webber), because it is difficult to describe, has several causes, and has no “silver bullet” answers to resolve it.