Plastic waste in the world’s oceans is affecting marine life in new and unusual ways, researchers reported recently. A group of U.S. and Canadian scientists found that some species are living on a huge area of plastic garbage floating in the Pacific Ocean. The team discovered animals such as oceanic barnacles and crabs living alongside coastal barnacles and anemones. Linsey Haram of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center was the lead writer of the report that appeared recently in the publication Nature Communications. “We expected to find oceanic marine species that have adapted on plastics, but we were...surprised to discover coastal marine species as well,” Haram said. It is not known how some coastal marine life got out into the ocean, added Haram. “They may already be out there settling on the plastics, but most likely they are being…transported from the coast on floating debris,” she told VOA. Debris is another term for waste. The study looked at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch between Hawaii and California. The patch, or area, is more than 1.5 million square kilometers. It is mostly plastic waste. The debris includes large amounts of very small pieces of plastic, along with water bottles, toothbrushes and fishing gear. The garbage is drawn together in circular ocean flows called gyres. The plastics can float together like that for years.
Title: Researchers: Coastal Marine Life Found Living on Ocean Waste
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Researchers: Coastal Marine Life Found Living on Ocean Waste' data-article-id='6013'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='11000'>Plastic waste in the world’s oceans is affecting marine life in new and unusual ways, researchers reported recently.</span> <span data-start-time='11000' data-end-time='23375'>A group of U.S. and Canadian scientists found that some species are living on a huge area of plastic garbage floating in the Pacific Ocean.</span> <span data-start-time='23375' data-end-time='33854'>The team discovered animals such as oceanic barnacles and crabs living alongside coastal barnacles and anemones.</span> <span data-start-time='33854' data-end-time='47063'>Linsey Haram of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center was the lead writer of the report that appeared recently in the publication Nature Communications.</span> <span data-start-time='47063' data-end-time='60375'>“We expected to find oceanic marine species that have adapted on plastics, but we were...surprised to discover coastal marine species as well,” Haram said.</span> <span data-start-time='60375' data-end-time='67604'>It is not known how some coastal marine life got out into the ocean, added Haram.</span> <span data-start-time='67604' data-end-time='78938'>“They may already be out there settling on the plastics, but most likely they are being…transported from the coast on floating debris,” she told VOA.</span> <span data-start-time='78938' data-end-time='82396'>Debris is another term for waste.</span> <span data-start-time='82396' data-end-time='89313'>The study looked at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch between Hawaii and California. </span> <span data-start-time='89313' data-end-time='96229'>The patch, or area, is more than 1.5 million square kilometers. </span> <span data-start-time='96229' data-end-time='98854'>It is mostly plastic waste.</span> <span data-start-time='98854' data-end-time='109438'>The debris includes large amounts of very small pieces of plastic, along with water bottles, toothbrushes and fishing gear. </span> <span data-start-time='109438' data-end-time='115417'>The garbage is drawn together in circular ocean flows called gyres.</span> <span data-start-time='115417' data-end-time='119500'>The plastics can float together like that for years.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/A.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18341 data-hint-location='78938' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/what_is_debris_another_term_for.wav'>What is debris another term for?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='waste'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/waste.wav'><span>waste</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/taste.wav'><span>taste</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/aches.wav'><span>aches</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/paste.wav'><span>paste</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18342 data-hint-location='82396' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/where_is_the_great_pacific_garbage_patch_located.wav'>Where is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch located?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Between Hawaii and California'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/between_hawaii_and_california.wav'><span>Between Hawaii and California</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/between_new_york_and_liverpool.wav'><span>Between New York and Liverpool</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/between_lisbon_and_bermuda.wav'><span>Between Lisbon and Bermuda</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/between_sydney_and_tokyo.wav'><span>Between Sydney and Tokyo</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18343 data-hint-location='115417' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/the_plastics_can_float_together_like_that_for__blank_.wav'>The plastics can float together like that for <span class='blank'>years</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='years'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/years.wav'><span>years</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/delivery.wav'><span>delivery</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/yes.wav'><span>yes</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5423/near.wav'><span>near</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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