Empty oceans?

Lesley spent an hour or so recently on emu parade along the beach at Cape Trib. She collected about two polystyrene boxfuls of mostly empty bottles, cans, thongs and other unidentified plastics. Notably absent in the early morning were birds along the shore - a couple of oystercatchers were the only hopefuls. There was little evidence of shoreline food -neither molluscs nor crabs. How things have changed since she was a girl!
It was interesting if unnerving to see that others have also noted this. See
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00qEi2UuU8k for a short video comparing the northern Pacific with the same fifty years ago. More discussion at science blogs' Shifting Baselines.
The fungus in the foreground, on the other hand, seemed quite well and happy sitting right on the beach!