“These interactions may include competition for food and space as well as predation. More research is needed to understand whether the effects are positive or negative.”
In a 2021 article, members of the same research team warned that the influx of invasive coastal species “could portend significant ecological change in the marine environment”.
A study published in 2017 in the journal Science Advances calculated that if current production and waste management trends continue, there will be 12 billion tons of plastic waste in landfills or the natural environment by 2050.
G7 energy and environment ministers announced an “ambition to net excess plastic pollution to zero by 2040” at the end of talks in Japan on Sunday.
He said he hoped to have an “international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution” ready by the end of 2024.