The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is one of the most visible reminders of the damage humans continue to wreak on the planet. More than twice the size of Texas, this huge area of ocean is visibly polluted with something like 100,000,000 kg of plastic waste. But one organisation — The Ocean Cleanup — says it’s on track to finally clear this great floating rubbish dump. Click the link for more: https://metro.co.uk/2022/09/22/bold-plan-to-finally-clean-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-is-revealed-17425

Once described as the most polluted ocean zone on Earth, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now supporting entire ecosystems. Researchers have confirmed that dozens of marine species are living on floating plastic debris. These include mussels, barnacles, shrimp-like amphipods, and other coastal organisms that normally live near shorelines. Plastic waste acts as a floating habitat. It allows coastal species to survive and reproduce far from land, something rarely possible before widespread plast