Lost fishing nets are especially dangerous. Ghost nets can trap or wrap around animals, entangling them. Plastic debris with loops can also get hooked on wildlife - think packing straps, six-pack rings, handles of plastic bags, etc. Ingestion : Animals may mistakenly eat plastic and other debris. We know that this can be harmful to the health of fish, seabirds, and other marine animals. These items can take up room in their stomachs, making the animals feel full and stopping them from eating real food.
Non-native species : Marine debris can transport species from one place to another. Algae, barnacles, crabs, or other species can attach themselves to debris and be transported across the ocean. If the species is invasive, and can settle and establish in a new environment, it can outcompete or overcrowd native species, disrupting the ecosystem.
Generally speaking, we know that humans may be exposed to microplastics from a number of sources, such as seafood , sea salt, tap water, beer, and even honey. However, we do not know how or if humans are impacted by this. Plastic microfibers can also be transported in the air and found in household dust e. The research community is actively exploring this issue. Marine debris in garbage patches can have other impacts.
For example, it may also cause damage to vessels and be a navigation hazard. A boat moving through the water can hit the debris, possibly resulting in costly vessel damage. Nets can become entangled in propellers and clog intakes. The answer is that we do not know. The locations and sizes of these garbage patches are not likely to change very much any time soon. However, the amount of debris may continue to grow as more and more debris enters our ocean each year. This growth will likely worsen current impacts on the environment, navigation, vessel safety, and the economy.
It may not be possible to entirely get rid of garbage patches. Some of the material will take a very long time to break down in the environment, while other materials, like plastics, may never fully go away. Plastic normally takes thousands of years to decompose. But year-old Daniel Burd made it happen in just three months by isolating a microbe that lunches on plastic bags.
Bags made from, for example, potato peel are also available. Spread the message. Make a donation. Or update your wardrobe with clothes from our modest but growing selection of sustainably sourced and crafted clothes.
TheWorldCounts is using cookies for analytics and marketing Learn more Got it. The World Counts. Shop Support. All Challenges. Get a Counter. Now In This month This week Today. Put this counter on your website. Shop Thousands of Verified Sustainable Products. Visit the Arbor Marketplace.
Shop Products. While higher concentrations of litter items can be found in this area, much of the debris is actually small pieces of floating plastic that are not immediately evident to the naked eye. Ocean debris is continuously mixed by wind and wave action and widely dispersed both over huge surface areas and throughout the top portion of the water column.
It is possible to sail through "garbage patch" areas in the Pacific and see very little or no debris on the water's surface. It is also difficult to estimate the size of these "patches," because the borders and content constantly change with ocean currents and winds.
0コメント