[rvieira]

Not saying this is good news, but given the current amount of plastic floating around in the oceans, isn't aggregating as a big chunk better for the environment[1] than disintegrating into micro-plastics or small debris?

[1] excluding the "no plastics in the ocean" choice, of course

[hollander]

Aggregating in one big chunk can be good news, if it is treated as a garbage collector and if the garbage is removed. If the plastic isn't removed, then it will be an eternal source of microplastics. I can't see how that is a good thing, unless some fish, bacteria or plant knows how to eat that plastic and make it into something harmless. I doubt that this will act like a plastic-magnet for the microplastics in the area.