Potential impact
"Only we humans make waste that nature can't digest"
(Moore, 2009)
It is essential that the issue of the garbage patch is resolved, otherwise things such as the food chain, marine life, and fishing businesses will all be under great threat. Many marine species, commonly sea turtles, albatrosses and seals, are suffering from the garbage patch through ingestion or entanglement. However, an even greater problem is occurring. The build up of rubbish on the ocean surface is blocking sunlight from reaching the plankton and algae below, depriving them of much needed nutrients. Because these organisms are at the bottom of the food chain, this creates an even bigger problem. “If algae and plankton communities are threatened, the entire food web may change.” (National Geographic, 2014) This will not only affect marine animals who become deprived of a food source as a result of this, but will also affect us humans as we too find a food source becomes limited: fish. As fish availability decreases the prices increase, impacting our economy. Meanwhile fisheries may begin to go out of business, causing a loss of jobs. Over time, the garbage in the patch will continue to increase, meaning marine life will continue to consume it, meaning fisheries and tourism efforts will continue faltering. Ultimately, if the garbage in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch continues to build up, the threats on the environment, economy and society will too. Luckily, there are solutions being formed to clean up the garbage patch, but the only way these solutions can work is if we further prevent ocean debris through the conserving of waste on land.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch - How You Can Help, video created by Bella Deary