--- title: "Microplastics May Be Changing Great Pacific Garbage Patch Color" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/climate/microplastics-may-be-changing-great-pacific-garbage-patch-color" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/microplastics-may-be-changing-great-pacific-garbage-patch-color" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/climate/microplastics-may-be-changing-great-pacific-garbage-patch-color.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/microplastics-may-be-changing-great-pacific-garbage-patch-color" category: "Climate" published: "2026-11-06T00:45:39.326Z" source_reported: "2026-11-05T16:24:00.000Z" updated: "2026-11-06T00:45:39.326Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-11-06T02:00:08.921293+00:00" --- # Microplastics May Be Changing Great Pacific Garbage Patch Color *Satellite data and simulations suggest plastic pollution is altering ocean hues, scientists report.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports and 9 digests corroborate the central claim, with specific data from satellite analysis cited. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. The reporting clearly separates scientific findings from speculation and quotes researchers directly. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headlines suggest a definitive conclusion, while the body of the reports notes further research is needed. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has become significantly bluer and greener over the past two decades, according to satellite data. - Scientists from the University of Bergen suggest microplastic pollution may be responsible for the observed color change. - Simulations indicated that microplastics increase the likelihood of the water appearing cyan, a color detected by satellites. - Researchers acknowledge that direct measurements within the Garbage Patch are necessary to confirm plastics as the sole cause. The water in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has become noticeably bluer and greener over the last 20 years, as indicated by satellite data analyzed between 2002 and 2022. Scientists from the University of Bergen in Norway conducted a study, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, suggesting that microplastic pollution may be altering the ocean's color. The researchers analyzed satellite imagery and ran simulations to understand the phenomenon. ## Disagreement on certainty of cause While the study's findings point to microplastics as a likely cause for the color shift, researchers acknowledge that further direct measurements are needed to definitively prove plastics are the sole reason. The simulations showed that microplastics increase the probability of the water changing to a cyan color, a hue detected by satellites. However, the scientists noted that other factors, such as phytoplankton, could also influence ocean color. Direct measurements in the Garbage Patch are described as a tricky and expensive next step to verify the findings. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated digests or full reports mentioned the specific journal where the study was published. The right-rated digest did not mention the journal or the specific researchers involved in the study. ## Who covered it Shares of the 12 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 33% (4) - Centre: 59% (7) - Right: 8% (1) 1 of 13 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-11-06T02:00:08.921293+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-11-06T02:30:12.278Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Both left-rated reports highlighted the study's suggestion that microplastics are changing the ocean's color. Scientific American stated that the "ocean's blue and green hues near the infamous zone of debris have gotten brighter over the past 20 years, satellite data show." It also quoted a study author saying, "We’re still one step away from proving definitively that microplastics are causing the shift in color that that we’re seeing." NBC News reported that "Microplastics appear to be changing the color of the ocean around the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, new research reveals, a shift satellites can see from space." ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on the observed color change and the potential link to microplastics. Multiple digests, including those from KIFI, KRDO, KVIA, KEYT, KESQ, KMIZ, and Science Alert, stated that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has become significantly bluer and greener over two decades, with scientists discovering increasing plastic pollution as a possible reason. KIFI's full report noted that the color of the ocean reflects what is in it, from phytoplankton to marine debris, and that a "gap" existed in research on how microplastics affect ocean color. Science Alert described the garbage patch as a "growing behemoth of humanity's creation." ### Right - The single right-rated report, a digest from WPSD Local 6, stated that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch may now have so much plastic that it is changing the color of the ocean. It reported that a wide patch of water between Hawaii and California has been changing color over the past two decades, becoming significantly bluer and greener. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 6 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 6 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [efeverde.com](https://efeverde.com/isla-plastico-pacifico-cambio-de-color-del-agua) — The Giant Pacific Plastic Island Is Causing a Change in Water Color - [WPSD Local 6](https://wpsdlocal6.com/news/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-may-now-have-so-much-plastic-it-s-changing-the/article_11554699-4531-410f-8efc-6976bec7e637.html) — The Great Pacific Garbage Patch may now have so much plastic, it’s changing the color of the ocean - [CNN](https://cnn.com/2026/11/05/climate/great-pacific-garbage-patch-changing-color-microplastics-pollution) — The Great Pacific Garbage Patch may now have so much plastic, it’s changing the color of the ocean - [KIFI](https://localnews8.com/cnn-other/2026/11/05/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-may-now-have-so-much-plastic-its-changing-the-color-of-the-ocean) — The Great Pacific Garbage Patch may now have so much plastic, it’s changing the color of the ocean - [KRDO](https://krdo.com/news/2026/11/05/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-may-now-have-so-much-plastic-its-changing-the-color-of-the-ocean) — The Great Pacific Garbage Patch may now have so much plastic, it’s changing the color of the ocean - [KVIA](https://kvia.com/cnn-other/2026/11/05/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-may-now-have-so-much-plastic-its-changing-the-color-of-the-ocean) — The Great Pacific Garbage Patch may now have so much plastic, it’s changing the color of the ocean - [KEYT](https://keyt.com/news/national-world/cnn-other/2026/11/05/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-may-now-have-so-much-plastic-its-changing-the-color-of-the-ocean) — The Great Pacific Garbage Patch may now have so much plastic, it’s changing the color of the ocean - [KESQ](https://kesq.com/cnn-other/2026/11/05/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-may-now-have-so-much-plastic-its-changing-the-color-of-the-ocean) — The Great Pacific Garbage Patch may now have so much plastic, it’s changing the color of the ocean - [KMIZ](https://abc17news.com/cnn-other/2026/11/05/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-may-now-have-so-much-plastic-its-changing-the-color-of-the-ocean) — The Great Pacific Garbage Patch may now have so much plastic, it’s changing the color of the ocean - [El Pais](https://elpais.com/clima-y-medio-ambiente/2026-11-05/los-microplasticos-de-la-gran-mancha-de-basura-del-pacifico-influyen-en-el-cambio-de-color-de-esa-zona-del-oceano.html) — The Microplastics of the Great Pacific Garbage Stain Influence the Color Change of that Ocean Area - [NBC News](https://nbcnews.com/science/environment/microplastics-changing-color-ocean-study-rcna607070) — Microplastics are changing the color of ocean water, study suggests - [Science Alert](https://sciencealert.com/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-may-be-changing-the-color-of-the-ocean) — The Great Pacific Garbage Patch May Be Changing The Color of The Ocean - [Scientific American](https://scientificamerican.com/article/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-is-changing-the-color-of-the-ocean) — The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is changing the color of the ocean ## Questions **What has happened to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch's color?** Satellite data analyzed between 2002 and 2022 shows that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has become significantly bluer and greener over the past two decades. This change in hue has been detected from space. **What is the suspected cause of the color change?** Scientists from the University of Bergen suggest that microplastic pollution may be responsible for altering the ocean's color. Their simulations indicated that microplastics increase the likelihood of the water appearing cyan, a color observed in satellite data. **Is it definitively proven that plastics are changing the ocean's color?** No, researchers acknowledge that further direct measurements within the Garbage Patch are needed to definitively prove that plastics are the sole cause of the color change. While simulations support the hypothesis, other factors could also be involved. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/climate/microplastics-may-be-changing-great-pacific-garbage-patch-color. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Microplastics May Be Changing Great Pacific Garbage Patch Color", https://mediabias.news/climate/microplastics-may-be-changing-great-pacific-garbage-patch-color