The Effects

Outlined map of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Photo credit from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/NHINM.png

The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is one of the largest marine life conservation areas that was created in 2006 by George W. Bush. It stretches over 1,200 nautical miles containing an abundance of marine ecosystems such as coral islands, seamounts, and shoals where over 7,000 species thrive. The island accumulates approximately 52 metric tons of debris, which leads to the endangerment of many species (Harse). This area is supposed to protect the wildlife from human impact, however, it’s location northwest of the Hawaiian Islands in the North Pacific Ocean contradicts its purpose.

The scholarly journal, Plastic, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and International Misfires at a Cure by Grant Harse, lists numerous affected animals and goes into greater detail about the Laysan albatross. The Laysan albatross inhabits the Monument and searches for food across hundreds of miles. They regurgitate plastics, mistaken for food, to feed their young. “In a 1994-95 study of dead and injured Laysan albatross chicks, approximately 98% contained plastics in their systems” (Harse). This statistic proves that plastics affect the wildlife.

Reading about the effects that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has on marine life is daunting, although watching a video of the reality is even more powerful. As seen in the Youtube video to the right, Chris Jordan films and photographs his experience at Midway atoll which is located at the center of the North Pacific Ocean. This island is found in the heart of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch where thousands of albatrosses reside. Many are dying, even young chicks, because they are ingesting plastic debris which leads to starvation. As the carcasses decompose, a pile of garbage is left behind. Witnessing the devastation has a greater impact on the viewer than compared to reading it in black and white.

Jordan’s short film impacts viewers emotionally by exposing the suffering of these birds caused by humans. In his video, Jordan says a few, short, beautifully articulated sentences and does not provide any statistics about the albatrosses. He wants his audience to focus on the dead and dying images of the birds and not to be distracted by speaking. The film depicts the harsh reality of the effects of garbage on albatrosses. If more, similar films are produced and go viral on the Internet or television, it could potentially alter society’s perception about marine pollution and make change happen.

A scientific journal called Marine Debris in the North Pacific from the U.S. Environment Protection Agency in 2011 explains specific examples how the Garbage Patch affects marine organisms. Most people do not realize that some garbage sinks to the bottom of the seafloor and does not all accumulate at the surface of the ocean. A lot of garbage accumulates at the bottom of the ocean which can cause smothering and abrasion of benthic habitats, especially hard bottoms. Benthic fauna thrives in hard bottoms areas.

Sea lion entangled in marine debris. Photo credit from http://bottleworx.co.za/sites/bottleworx.co.za/files/env-ocean.jpg.

Back at the surface, Hawaiian monk seals are an endangered species and are considered the rarest marine mammal in the world. “Entanglement by marine debris, particularly derelict fishing gear, is one of the greatest threats to the Hawaiian monk seal” (U.S. Protection Agency). The Great Pacific Garbage Patch greatly impacts the seals since they already have a very small population size. They could become extict if marine pollution continues. Also, all seven species of sea turtles in the world are threatened or endangered. They ingest plastic bags because they mistake them for jellyfish. They are also prone to becoming entangled in nets and other plastic debris.

According to the article Lies You've Been Told About the Pacific Garbage Patch written by Annalee Newitz in 2012, there are many assumptions about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that are inaccurate. Unlike the examples provided by the U.S. Protection Agency, Newitz claims that the plastic is not killing all species in the ocean. Some marine life is being harmed, however, there are a few species that are thriving. Water skaters, tiny crabs, barnacles, and bryozoans inhabit hard surfaces found floating in the deep, open ocean where they normally don’t live. The plastics

are not technically killing the oceans either, but they do cause an imbalance of the ecosystem. Invasive species have been found to be transported by the chunks of plastics that travel around the gyre. A chain reaction occurs: “With plastic will come more invasive species, more water skaters, and more creatures to eat the water skaters' eggs. The danger is that this could alter the open ocean forever — and destroy all the native life there that has kept the oceans healthy for thousands of years.” When there is an imbalance in the ecosystem, it could take hundreds of years for the oceans to evolve and counteract the damage. It is possible for the ecosystem to get worse and not balance itself out over time.

Shows the similarity of plastics bags and jellyfish floating in the water mistaken by sea turtles. Photo credit from https://tshirttote.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/search.png.