What are the consequences of this?

Oceans have been described as some of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on earth.The Pacific Ocean itself is home to some of the most fascinating creatures and habitats on the planet but the fact is one of the largest garbage dumps in the world is located right in the center of it. This results in major consequences for both us and the wildlife that inhabit this ocean.

With the Great Pacific Garbage Patch being compose mainly of plastic, it is fitting that this material causes the death of thousands of marine animals per year. Due to the nature of plastic, this floating debris never fully degrades. Naturally, it only breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces making it much easier for aquatic life to consume. Studies have shown that plastic particles outnumber zoo plankton by a 6:1 ratio. Similarly to most oceans, zoo plankton is the main source of food for the smaller organisms. These smaller animals are forced to determine what to consume between the plentiful amounts of plastic and the scarce plankton. The animals often choose wrong and die because of the inability to digest these toxins. As for the larger creatures of the Pacific, feeding is no easier. Birds and sea turtles are often found washed on shore with plastic clogged in their stomachs. You may assume that this pollution wouldn't be a problem for animals at the top of the food chain but it is just as devastating to them. Sharks and dolphins feed off these smaller animals and receive higher concentrations of the toxic plastics. There are multiple other examples of the affects of this pollution on marine life but maybe more shocking are the affects it has on humans.

Here a baby sea turtle mistakes plastic as his food source.

Finding birds on shore filled with plastic is not an uncommon thing around the Pacific Ocean.

I, like many people, love seafood. From sushi to tuna, there isnt any kind of seafood I wont try. In many countries seafood, such as lobster, is a rare delicacy. With all of this seafood being consumed the possibility of toxic chemicals being ingested is highly likely. Multiple studies have shown that the toxic levels in fish have sky rocketed, as a matter of fact, warnings have gone out informing people of the possiblity of being poisoned by seafood. Some of the effects of this poisoning could be disease, mutation, infertility and many others. If people find no reason to help fix this problem from the effects on wildlife, I hope they understand the effects it can have on themselves and even their children.