Ocean trash providing home for marine life

Scientists have found dozens of coastal marine species thriving and reproducing on floating plastic debris far out in the Pacific Ocean

Ocean cleanup system capturing plastic debris in GPGP

Floating debris
Researchers gathered 105 plastic items from Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) in 2018 and 2019

Coastal marine animals: Discovered on 70 percent of debris analysed, including anemones, crabs and crustaceans

Invertebrate specimens: Some 484 organisms identified – from 46 species – 80 percent of which are typically found in coastal habitats

Right: Plastic debris colonised by both coastal barnacles (pink and striped) and gooseneck barnacle from open ocean

Pacific Ocean
   
North Pacific Subtropical Gyre Ocean current most heavily impacted by plastic pollution

GPGP: Spans estimated 1.6 million sq km – area about twice as big as Texas or three times as big as France

 
Sources: CNN, Gizmodo, NOAA, NPR, The Ocean Cleanup
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Picture: Linsey Haram/ SERC Marine Invasions Lab