The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: A Thriving Ecosystem for Coastal Species.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a large concentration of plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean, is also an ecosystem hosting a variety of sea creatures that cling to the debris. A recent study found 46 different species of invertebrates living on the debris, with the vast majority being species that are typically only found along coastlines. The findings contradict the assumption that coastal species could not survive in areas of open ocean.