Plastic pollution has been a problem for years now, and its undesirable effects are still felt today in ecosystems across the globe. It is most destructive for aquatic species like fish and turtles. But it seems the problem does not stop there. A team of scientists led by Linsey Haram has recently found that, in the open ocean, plastic debris could serve as a makeshift habitat for coastal species. Scientists also found that they live side by side in the plastic debris with open-ocean animals. They worry that this unprecedented scenario could increase the odds of biological invasions that will disrupt surrounding ecosystems. Worse, there have been signs that these coastal species were reproducing.
"If you can reproduce, then you can spread. And if you can spread, you can invade," says marine microbiologist Linda Amaral-Zettler, who was not involved in the study.
The study, which analyzed plastic debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, found that nearly all of this debris contained "pelagic" or open-ocean species. About 70% of the debris, however, contained at least one coastal species (like bryozoans, jellyfish, sponges, and worms).
Martin Thiel, another marine biologist not involved in the study, says this finding is another warning call for us to take action on the plastic problem.
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