Proskurowski and his colleague Tobiras Kukulka of the University of Delaware have written a theory that suggests that, on average, there is 2.5% plastic debris in the ocean times higher than indicated by surface water sampling estimates. The Journal of Geophysical Research Letters reports that in strong winds, the volume of plastic waste could be underestimated by a factor of 27. This plastic pollution can harm the ecosystem and other organisms in it. The pieces of plastic can degrade a fish's liver and become suitable hosts for bacteria and algae that travel to different areas of the ocean where they could become invasive and cause more damage to the ocean environment. In Proskurowski's interview with LiveScience, he discussed his 2010 study by stating that they found 2.5 times more debris in the layers of water that lie beneath the surface. Debris was scattered 65 to 82 feet. He says the wind could push large amounts of waste deeper into the ocean. He supported this claim using his study of the depth of debris scattered beneath the ocean's surface