Scientists have recently discovered that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is so large that a coastal ecosystem may be thriving on the tons of plastic waste floating offshore.
In a recent study published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers found that a large community of coastal organisms, including small crabs and sea anemones, has survived and reproduced on plastic debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
It is estimated that there are about 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, weighing a total of around 80,000 tons. (Photo: New York Times).
While organic materials break down and sink within months or a few years at most, plastic debris can float in the ocean for much longer.
Scientists indicate that ocean plastic pollution may create conditions for a new floating ecosystem of species that typically cannot survive in the open sea, according to CNN.
Linsey Haram, the lead author of the study, along with colleagues, examined 105 plastic items collected from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch between November 2018 and January 2019. They identified 484 marine invertebrate species on the debris, belonging to 46 different species, with 80% typically found in coastal habitats.
“We found that the majority are coastal species, rather than those that normally live offshore as we had thought,” she said.
According to Haram, the consequences of coastal species thriving in offshore areas remain unclear.
“They may compete for living space, as habitat is crucial in the open ocean. Additionally, they might compete for food or even prey on each other. It’s difficult to determine what is happening,” she stated.
Furthermore, the study could not pinpoint exactly how these organisms made their way to the distant ocean and how they survived.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a vast accumulation of waste covering about 1.6 million square kilometers located in the waters between California and Hawaii.
The Ocean Cleanup initiative estimates that there are about 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic weighing approximately 80,000 tons in this garbage patch. The majority of the plastic is believed to originate from the fishing industry, while 10-20% of the total mass may be from the 2011 tsunami in Japan.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world produces about 460 million tons of plastic annually. Without urgent action, this figure is expected to triple by 2060.
UNEP reports that globally, only about 9% of plastic waste is recycled. Up to 22% of plastic is improperly managed and becomes waste, with most ending up in the oceans.
