Not quite like Frankenstein's monster but the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is actually teeming with life. It should probably come as no surprise - given its size and how long it has existed - that it is now so huge that it supports its own marine eco-system.
This enormous mass of swirling, discarded, non-recyclable plastic particles is reckoned to be almost a million square miles dense floating between Hawaii and the California coast.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Also known as the Pacific trash vortex, the garbage patch is actually two distinct collections of debris bounded by the massive North Pacific Subtropical Gyre formed by four currents rotating. Marine debris is basically litter from the land that ends up in the ocean.
A study published in the Nature Ecology & Evolution journal this week reports that scientists have discovered healthy communities of normally coastal dwelling creatures, such as crabs and anemones, that have been able to not just survive but thrive, and reproduce, on junk plastic that has been floating in the ocean for years.
As these creatures compete for limited space and food a new evolutionary path develops and scientists are pondering where it might lead. Linsey Haram, a science fellow at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the study’s lead author, said:
“The consequences of the introduction of new species into the remote areas of the ocean are not yet fully understood… Quite a large percentage of the diversity that we found were coastal species and not the native pelagic open ocean species that we were largely expecting to find.”
The amount of debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch accumulates because much of it is not biodegradable. Many plastics, for instance, do not wear down; they simply break into tinier and tinier pieces – 170 trillion pieces at last estimate!
Because the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is so far from any country’s coastline, no nation will take responsibility or provide the funding to clean it up.
Coral Sure Sunscreen tubes are made from all eco-friendly “green” bio-plastic which is 100% recyclable. This bio-plastic is created by farming sugarcane on sustainable land in Brazil, thousands of miles from the Amazon rainforest. The bio-plastic is then used instead of the fossil fuel sourced material to create flexible squeeze tubes while maintaining the performance characteristics of traditional polyethylene. The bio-plastic is also 100% recyclable, meaning the tubes and cap can be recycled and mixed into Post Consumer Regrind, just like any other polymer.
Recycling is only the second best solution. First, we need to cut down on our plastic consumption.
Our tubes are 100% recyclable. We know it's not a perfect solution, which is why we are always looking for enhanced biodegradable alternatives that are environmentally friendly but have the characteristics necessary to contain the sunscreen formula.
About
EPO9 was formed four years ago by a collection of surfers, scuba divers, snorkelers, swimmers and outdoor enthusiasts who worship the sun but really care about, and want to protect, the oceans and marine environment which brings us so much joy. Eponine Labs, LLC was incorporated in June 2022. Its mission is to manufacture a sunscreen that is truly non-toxic to the marine eco-system and will afford the user the highest standard of skin protection from the sun's harmful UV rays.
People chose Coral Sure Sunscreen for its broad spectrum protection and non-toxic, moisturizing properties. Learn more at www.epo9coralsure.com
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