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The amount of plastic pollution in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG), more often referred to as the North Pacific Garbage Patch, has increased dramatically in the last forty years, according to this map by The Economist. The plastic pieces 5mm in diameter or less, known as ‘microplastic’, are known to have an impact on the ocean’s ecosystem, mainly through ingestion of these particles by fish and invertebrates. The species that seems to be benefiting from the presence of the microplastic debris is the insect known as Halobates sericeus, that has way more surface where to lay its eggs. For detailed information see the complete research paper: Increased Oceanic Microplastic Debris Enhances Oviposition in an Endemic Pelagic Insect by Miriam C. Goldstein,
Marci Rosenberg, and Lanna Cheng.