Increased Oceanic Microplastic Debris Enhances Oviposition in an Endemic Pelagic Insect
As part of an ongoing effort to measure the effects of the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” a large mass of human-created trash accumulated in the Pacific Ocean, this study examines its effects on one particular insect, the insect Halobates sericeus. This study shows the large impact that pollution is having on ocean habitats.
What is colloquially called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a region of the Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 miles west of the California coast, known as the North Pacific Ocean Subtropical Gyre, where large amonts of human trash have accumulated. Research in this areas has found plastic debris has increased 100 times in the past 40 years.
This increase has deleterious effects for animals of many species, who mistake the plastic as food and ingest it. This paper finds that one insect, the Halobates sericeus, also known as a “sea skater” or “oceanic water strider,” has actually benefitted from the debris, as they lay eggs on objects floating in the ocean. This increase has the potential to throw off the marine ecosystem notably over time.
The full text of the article is available at the link below. An article summarizing the report findings in more detail is available here.