Plastic debris, which can take 500 years to decompose, made up more than half of the litter found on beaches in 2005.

塑料碎片，这可能要花500年才能分解，提出了半数以上的垃圾在海滩上发现于2005年。

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Already there is a region the size of North American in the sea between Hawaii Japan and the mainland US filled with plastic debris.

在夏威夷、日本和美国大陆之间的洋面中，已经有一块北美洲大小的区域充满了塑料残骸。

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'the persistence and increasing quantity of plastic debris has created new habitats-essentially' plastic reefs' that sea creatures have made their homes', the team say.

该团队还说，“塑料垃圾存留时间长，数量也不断增多，逐渐形成了一种新的栖息地——‘塑料礁’，成为了许多海洋生物的安生之所。”

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Across the island in David Hyrenbach's lab, the impact of plastic debris is apparent among the animal species he studies: birds.

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In June 2006 a United Nations Environmental Program report estimated that there is an average of 46, 000 pieces of plastic debris in every square mile of ocean.

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Plastic makes up about 80 percent of all marine debris -- plastic shopping bags alone make up 10 percent.

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