Plants and animals living on the great Pacific Garbage Patch

[Catherine]

Quote:It is certainly true that nature can adapt to changes in the environment, given time. However, the ongoing problem seems to be when the plastic breaks up into microscopic parts. These are eaten by various life forms in the sea. These life forms are in turn eaten by those higher up the food chain (eventually including humans). These plastics often contain carcinogenic substances. Malformations and cancer result, unfortunately.

This is the problem with plastics. They are toxic in the first place. We probably should not be eating food stored in toxic plastics. We have filled out planet with something that is poisonous to us. We have dispersed it enough that it is in our food chain. I don't think the results are going to be good.

Living things growing on the garbage islands is a new twist in this situation. Can life actually establish itself on the islands? Could they really become massive floating areas full of life? Or would they be limited to a few species that can grow anywhere? Since the islands are so toxic, what kind of growth would happen.
I don't see a future of lush tropical islands floating in the oceans. That is the stuff of science fiction stories. There is some life that can live on the hulls of ships, so living on a garbage island is not so different. Would this make it harder for us to get rid of the garbage?

This is a situation that needs to be watched. I don't know what we can do about it. I don't know what we should do about it.
One thing that is clear is that this is our fault. When it comes to messing things up humans are in first place.