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> it isn't removing it from the biosphere This doesn't make sense to me. While some plastic is eroded or eaten from the rock's surface, all of it originated fr
by gnode 7y ago
> it isn't removing it from the biosphere
This doesn't make sense to me. While some plastic is eroded or eaten from the rock's surface, all of it originated from the ocean where it was available to enter the biosphere anyway.
From their appearance, it seems the surface of these rocks is continually buried by sedimentation, which would capture at least some proportion of the plastic.
Conversely to the biological interaction being detrimental, I wonder whether it could be beneficial. Conceivably the biofilm may adhesively capture plastic, binding it to the rock and facilitating its capture beneath sediment. Additionally, in biochemical sedimentary rock formation, molluscs contribute to the growth of the rock by forming shells which adhere to the rock.
- 205guy 7y agoYou're making the same mistake again: the rocky coastline of a volcanic island in the middle of an ocean does not become sedimentary. It is constantly being eroded. The plasticrust that is not ingested/incorporated by molluscs and seaweed will be eroded by more waves and be redistributed as molecules in the ocean water. If the island is tropical, a small amount of plastic may get stuck long enough in or to the rocks for coral to grow around it and trap it. But this is probably an insignificant amount compared to all the plastic that is being released and broken down in the ecosystem.