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Plants and animals living on the great Pacific Garbage Patch
#1
Until now the garbage patches that have formed in the ocean were considered dead zone devoid of life. It has been discovered that the Pacific Garbage POatch has plants and animals living on it.  A number of coastal species have succeeded in colonizing the plastic island.

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/new...tic-island

What this means ecologically is unknown. What effect this will have on the rest of the ocean is unknown. What will actually happen to the garbage patch and its new inhabitants is unknown. So what do we know? We know that we have no idea what will happen here.
When we decided to dump tons of plastics into the oceans we became part of a giant experiment whose outcome is totally unknown to us. Since we cannot reverse the damage we have done, we just have to live through the results of this "experiment" and hope it is not too bad.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

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#2
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.

Once again one asks: which species caused this pollution? Answer: humans, yet again. Will we ever learn?
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#3
This is definitely not the right kind of "island" for animals to live on. It is toxic and shouldn't be there.
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#4
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.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

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