(CNN) A French swimmer has begun an attempt to swim across the Pacific Ocean, a journey that will take him through the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in a bid to raise awareness of plastic pollution.

Benoit "Ben" Lecomte, 51, set off from his starting point of Chōshi, Japan, aiming to reach San Francisco, 5,500 miles away.

To accomplish his goal of becoming the first person to swim the Pacific, Lecomte will need to swim for eight hours a day for six months, with an average of 30 miles a day.

French swimmer Benoit Lecomte begins his attempt of swimming across the Pacific Ocean in Choshi, Japan on June 5, 2018, surrounded by his children.

Lecomte, the associate director of sustainability services at a consulting firm, is hoping the endeavor will double as a scientific study on climate change, health, and pollution.

Researchers from 12 scientific institutions, including NASA and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, will be conducting studies and gathering samples throughout his swim. The researchers will focus on eight areas of interest, which include radiation from the Fukushima disaster and the swim's effects on Lecomte's heart and psychological state.