Millions of pieces of plastic are washing onto the shores of a chain of remote Australian islands, according to new study.
Millions of pieces of plastic are washing onto the shores of a chain of remote Australian islands, according to a new study.
Scientists believe currents coming from several directions carry the plastic to the once-pristine beaches. The northern atoll of the archipelago, which is uninhabited and rarely visited, serves as an important breeding site for seabirds, researchers said. Other parts of the island are touted as Australia's last unspoiled paradise, where tourism is a primary source of income for the local community, according to the study.
Once plastic is in the ocean, the waves and sunlight begin to break it down into small particles that remain for decades, perhaps centuries.
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