SCP-2899
A Collection of Debris in the North Pacific Gyre
Special Containment Procedures
SCP-2899 is immovable, due both to its size and composition and to its dependence on the unique conditions of the North Pacific Gyre, and so containment is restricted to suppressing knowledge of and access to SCP-2899 and its environs. Since SCP-2899 is mobile, however, dedicated Foundation research ships must keep track of its location and bearing, using both observations of patterns in floating debris and of anomalous movement of subsurface particulates.
All seagoing vessels that approach or enter the Gyre must be monitored; those vessels wishing to simply pass through the Gyre should be diverted. Vessels that enter the Gyre for reasons pertaining to the Gyre itself and its ecosystem (including accumulated marine debris) should include embedded Foundation agents whenever possible. Any other vessels that enter the Gyre must be intercepted by Foundation assets to ascertain the vessel's motives and to administer amnestics as necessary.
There are currently no prohibitions on aircraft passing through the Gyre at cruising altitudes, but any aircraft that enter the area low enough to study the Gyre must be monitored and/or intercepted as above. Information gathered from satellite imagery is currently not affected beyond normal suppression of data about Foundation assets.
Description
SCP-2899 is a collection of accumulated debris within the North Pacific Gyre that exhibits at least two anomalous properties regarding its composition and behavior. The composition of SCP-2899 is largely similar to the rest of the waters of the Gyre— extremely high levels of particulate and microparticulate plastic with more scattered larger debris. However, the debris contained within SCP-2899 tends to be more organized, exhibiting patterns based on the chemical composition and physical characteristics of debris items. Additionally, any debris introduced to or accumulated by SCP-2899 will be slowly integrated into these patterns. The frequency and complexity of the patterns that arise all but rule out creation by random chance, particularly in light of the other anomalous observation of SCP-2899.
Just beneath the water's surface under SCP-2899, remote-operated probes have detected streams of plastic particulates moving at 30 to 70 cm/sec, despite the absence of any currents or winds (or even the presence of currents or winds blowing in the opposite direction). These particulate streams generally end at a location with a locally higher concentration of debris; extrapolation of the paths of these streams show, in most cases, another high-debris-content location along the path of origin. The longest such stream so far observed measured just over 700 meters, although since the formation of a particulate stream has yet to be observed, the actual length of these streams could be much longer.
The exact size of SCP-2899 is difficult to determine. Its surface area is estimated to be between 400 and 10,000 km2, and may fluctuate as atmospheric and oceanic conditions change. SCP-2899 is believed to encompass the material suspended in the water under its surface area to a depth of approximately 12 meters. Researchers believe (with 70-75% certainty) that the anomalous properties observed in the Gyre are a sign of a nascent sentience within SCP-2899, although based on current evidence, manipulation by an external agency cannot be ruled out. Research on SCP-2899 is focused primarily on discovering the source of its anomalous properties; secondary research is focused on establishing communications with SCP-2899 or with the entity or entities causing the anomalies in the Gyre. Vessels have also been dispatched to other locations within the North Pacific Gyre, as well as to the Gyres in the rest of the world's oceans, to attempt to locate entities similar to SCP-2899.