Quote:
Originally Posted by Turtle
That plastic garbage business in the ocean...I saw a bit from Cousteau I think on the plastic soup in the Pacific gyre.  |
This was only recently discovered because it is away from shipping routes.
One of the worrying problems about it is that the currents also concentrate phytoplankton.
The plastic (said to be an area bigger than Texas) is breaking down into minute particles which are being taken up by the phytoplankton and thus entering the bottom of the Ocean's food chain. In much the same way as many pesticides such as DDT. We know that some of these pesticides
- 1.interfere with the ability of phytoplankton to reproduce.
- 2.Concentrate in higher mammals in the food chain causing behaviour abnormalities (Seals when birthing- and living off their fat reserves -where the pesticides are- become confused at distress calls of their babies and beat them to death.)
We have no idea what plastics do -yet.
PS
those plastic figures are just for Scotland and/or the UK
