MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA — Initial results from the first aerial survey of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch suggest that ocean pollution is worse than we thought.

The Ocean Cleanup Foundation is conducting a series of aerial surveys over an area of plastic accumulation in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and California, according to a news release on its website.

Flying at low altitude and low speed, the survey uses Lidar technology to analyse the density and frequency of plastic ocean debris.

Recording the presence of debris larger than 0.5 meters by 1.5 meters, the crew found more than 1,000 pieces of plastic during a 2 ½-hour test flight.

The survey also aims to document discarded fishing nets known as “ghost nets”, which are difficult to detect and can ensnare marine life.

Researchers from the Great Ocean Cleanup said understanding the scope of the problem would help future efforts to remove trash from the Pacific.