Marine creatures and plants typically found in coastal regions have found new ways to survive in the open ocean by colonizing plastic pollution, scientists say.
The North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, between California and Hawaii, is creating opportunities for coastal species to greatly expand beyond what we previously thought was possible , researchers say.
The North Pacific Subtropical Gyre is home to a diffuse haze of garbage commonly known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch . Though spread across 1.6 million square kilometers (610,000 square miles) of open ocean, the patch is estimated to contain