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(CNN)-WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Old toothbrushes, beach toys and used condoms are part of a vast vortex of plastic trash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, threatening sea creatures that get tangled in it, eat it or ride on it, a new report says.
www.cnn.com...
Because plastic doesn't break down the way organic material does, ocean currents and tides have carried it thousands of miles to an area between Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast, according to the study by the international environmental group Greenpeace.
www.cnn.com...
This swirling vortex, which can grow to be about the size of Texas, is not far from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, designated as a protected U.S. national monument in June by President George W. Bush.
www.cnn.com...
The Greenpeace report, "Plastic Debris in the World's Oceans" said at least 267 species -- including seabirds, turtles, seals, sea lions, whales and fish -- are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of marine debris.
www.cnn.com...
The new report comes days after the journal Science projected that Earth's stocks of fish and seafood would collapse by 2048 if trends in overfishing and pollution continue.
www.cnn.com...
"Plastics in the oceans act as a toxic sponge, soaking up a lot of the persistent pollutants out here," Smith said. "We've seen photos of albatrosses who eat this plastic ... Even though their stomachs are filled, they end up starving because there's no nutrients in there."
www.cnn.com...
Originally posted by byhiniur
This comes four days after we are warned that theFish population will be gone by 2048.
I'm totally against the pollution of the sea, but just don't feel that this story sounds right.
I'm struggling to understand what the storys saying because if I imagine a vortex it'd be like a tornado but in the water, but why would plastic cause that? But then further on in the story they say it's just floating along on the surface, which isn't very vortex like.
Originally posted by byhiniur
Also, anyone who's seen Blue Planet will agree that any cover in the ocean will promote life, not hamper it. Fair enough some animals will die eating it, but won't there be a net gain in sea life as their are more breeding grounds for fish?
Originally posted by Xeros
I think it's the currents in the ocean that create a vortex not the plastic. The plastic gets caught up in them and go round and round without escaping. I guess kinda like the "Gulf Stream" maybe but on a smaller scale and in the Pacific. But you probably aleady know that.
Originally posted by byhiniur
Any ecosystem is delicate and to work, needs to be as balanced as possible for all animals. I dont know why you would think that this plastic vortex would be a good breeding ground for fish.
Originally posted by byhiniur
Currents don't go round and round, they go from one place to another... isn't the gulf stream a current that brings hot air to western europe? So I'm right in thinking that there is basically an underwater tornado of plastic that can grow to the size of Texas?
Originally posted by byhiniur
When they say that things like nets and crates are floating around I can vividly recall the exact point where David Attenborough says that they are always sort out by fish as breeding grounds and some fish will even use them as homes. So if there is more 'environment' in the desert that is the open seas then there is going to be more fish produced. This would give more food for the rest of the ecosystem, that we were told four days ago was going to die.
Originally posted by byhiniur
Also, the only death they say is from a seagull eating plastic, so if more fish are going to breed then this would have less chance of happening.