Pacific Garbage Patch Providing a Deep Ocean Home For Coastal Species (arstechnica.com) 42
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: A survey of plastic waste picked up in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre -- aka the Giant Pacific Garbage Patch -- has revealed that the garbage is providing a home to species that would otherwise not be found in the deep ocean. Over two-thirds of the trash examined plays host to coastal marine species, many of which are clearly reproducing in what would otherwise be a foreign habitat. The findings suggest that, as far as coastal species are concerned, there was nothing inhospitable about the open ocean other than the lack of something solid to latch on to. [...]
Plastics, especially things like buoys, floats, and netting, are often designed to hold up in the difficult marine environment and could provide a stable home at the top of the water column. To find out whether that was taking place, the researchers collected over 100 plastic debris items from the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre in late 2018/early 2019. While a handful of items could be assigned to either Asian or North American origins, most were pretty generic, such as rope and fishing netting. There was a wide variety of other items present, including bottles, crates, buckets, and household items. Some had clearly eroded significantly since their manufacture, suggesting they had been in the ocean for years. Critically, nearly all of them had creatures living on them.
Ninety-eight percent of the items found had some form of invertebrate living on them. In almost all cases, that included species found in the open ocean (just shy of 95 percent of the plastic). But a handful had nothing but coastal species present. And over two-thirds of the items had a mixed population of coastal and open-ocean species. While the open-ocean species were found on more items, the researchers tended to find the same species repeatedly. All told, coastal species accounted for 80 percent of the 46 taxonomic richness represented by the organisms identified. Significantly, the coastal species were breeding. In a number of cases, the researchers were able to identify females carrying eggs; in others, it was clear that the individuals present had a wide range of sizes, suggesting they were at different stages of maturity. "One thing that struck the researchers was that the list of species present on the plastic of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre was distinct from that found on tsunami debris," adds the report. "Part of that may be that some items swept across the ocean by the tsunami, like docks and boats, already had established coastal communities on them when they were lost to the sea."
The findings were published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Plastics, especially things like buoys, floats, and netting, are often designed to hold up in the difficult marine environment and could provide a stable home at the top of the water column. To find out whether that was taking place, the researchers collected over 100 plastic debris items from the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre in late 2018/early 2019. While a handful of items could be assigned to either Asian or North American origins, most were pretty generic, such as rope and fishing netting. There was a wide variety of other items present, including bottles, crates, buckets, and household items. Some had clearly eroded significantly since their manufacture, suggesting they had been in the ocean for years. Critically, nearly all of them had creatures living on them.
Ninety-eight percent of the items found had some form of invertebrate living on them. In almost all cases, that included species found in the open ocean (just shy of 95 percent of the plastic). But a handful had nothing but coastal species present. And over two-thirds of the items had a mixed population of coastal and open-ocean species. While the open-ocean species were found on more items, the researchers tended to find the same species repeatedly. All told, coastal species accounted for 80 percent of the 46 taxonomic richness represented by the organisms identified. Significantly, the coastal species were breeding. In a number of cases, the researchers were able to identify females carrying eggs; in others, it was clear that the individuals present had a wide range of sizes, suggesting they were at different stages of maturity. "One thing that struck the researchers was that the list of species present on the plastic of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre was distinct from that found on tsunami debris," adds the report. "Part of that may be that some items swept across the ocean by the tsunami, like docks and boats, already had established coastal communities on them when they were lost to the sea."
The findings were published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
I predict.... (Score:5, Funny)
One day environmentalists with no other causes will protest the destruction of the pacific garbage patch.
Re: I predict.... (Score:1)
Are you saying you want to do in vitro experiments on environmentalists, and euthanize the failures?
Re: I predict.... (Score:1)
Can I change that to in vivo?
Re:I predict.... (Score:5, Funny)
In Hawaii, glass bottles were dumped into the ocean. Then laws were passed to mandate a deposit and ensure the bottles were collected.
But there were no good recycling options, so the state solicited ideas for what to do with the bottles.
The winning proposal was to dump them in the ocean to create artificial reefs.
Re: (Score:3)
But there were no good recycling options, so the state solicited ideas for what to do with the bottles.
Interesting, in the old days, we'd simply reuse then for the same usage they were used for in the first place, e.g. clean them and refill them with the same stuff..
Re:I predict.... (Score:4, Informative)
in the old days, we'd simply reuse then for the same usage they were used for in the first place
That requires heavier glass which means more raw material and more energy to manufacture and ship. Collecting, sorting, cleaning, and shipping the bottles for refilling requires even more energy and labor.
Since, on average, the bottles are only used three times before being broken or tossed in the trash, it was a net loss. That's why it was discontinued.
Reuse also doesn't work for wine bottles and other types of bottles and jars.
In Hawaii, where many items in glass are shipped from the mainland or on other islands, reuse makes even less sense.
Re: (Score:2)
But there were no good recycling options, so the state solicited ideas for what to do with the bottles.
Interesting, in the old days, we'd simply reuse then for the same usage they were used for in the first place, e.g. clean them and refill them with the same stuff..
Cleaning (to remove cigarette butts and such), and sterilizing is actually very water and energy intensive, so the benefits of reuse are not nearly as big as you think they are.
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One day environmentalists with no other causes will protest the destruction of the pacific garbage patch.
Proving that once again, George Carlin was prophetic about the Green Movement: The Earth + Plastic [google.com].
Coincidence (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: Coincidence (Score:3)
COASTAL life has not been there.
Re: (Score:1)
New Place To Ship The Homeless (Score:2)
This is the perfect solution to the homeless problem. Out of sight, out of mind.
Life, uh, (Score:2)
That's a good thing! (Score:5, Funny)
I'm saying it now: That garbage patch will continue to grow and solidify and some day, when both poles have melted, people will move over to the patch and it'll be the salvation of mankind.
Re: (Score:2)
wasn't that in some dystopian movie once? Some washed-up actor and an old oil tanker?
The Beatles (Score:2)
Wow! (Score:4)
Re: (Score:2)
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If you are worried about micro plastics in your food take a good look at your kitchen.
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Show me any data about microplastics actually being harmful. It's a bunch of easily-led people freaking out about nothing.
Re: (Score:2)
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No, I just haven't seen a thing yet. Just people freaking out about nothing. Try me.
Re: Wow! (Score:2)
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I'm an asshole now? OK, you got issues with delusion. Enjoy!
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As George Carlin pointed out long ago, plastic is of the earth. The earth needed plastic and so created humans to make it.
two red button meme (Score:2)
One button, "clean up the ocean" and the other is "preserve wildlife species floating with the garbage"
You can't have both.
Re: two red button meme (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Sure you can, because a non retard would realize that cherry-picking a potential small positive doesn't make all the enormous negatives disappear.
The positives and negatives of most all aspects of civilized life are highly subjective. I hope you can find some positives in it all.
Yay! (Score:2)
Current methods for handling plastic in my personal order of best overall:
1. Repelletize clean consumer and industrial feedstock. Debate recycling systems! South China Sea dumping does not count.
2. Burn for distillates/chemical components. Debate pollution capture!
3. Put it back in the ground. We already do this. Debate that!
Since this is all technically lit
Malcolm has something to say: (Score:2)
Life, uh, finds a way.
Re: (Score:1)
The ocean can have a few car batteries (Score:1)
Big "The ocean can have a few car batteries, as a treat" energy
I am going to make money from it (Score:1)
Profit!
What a concept---NOT! (Score:2)