Proskurowski and his colleague Tobiras Kukulka of the University of Delaware wrote a theory suggesting that on average, plastic debris in the ocean is 2.5 times higher than what surface water sampling estimates say. 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 damage the ecosystem and other organisms it contains. Pieces of plastic can degrade a fish's liver and become suitable hosts for bacteria and algae to move 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, stating that they found 2.5 times more debris in the water layers below the surface. The debris was scattered between 65 and 82 feet. He says the wind could carry large amounts of waste deeper into the ocean. He supported this claim using his study of the depth of debris scattered beneath the ocean surface.