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Deep-sea snails and mussels in Indian and Pacific Oceans contain microplastics, study finds
Summary
Scientists exploring deep-sea vents in the Indian and Pacific Oceans found tiny bits of plastic inside mussels and snails living thousands of feet below the surface, far from cities and coastlines. This matters because it shows plastic pollution has spread to even the most remote, untouched parts of the ocean, and since some of these creatures are part of the marine food chain (and occasionally end up on our plates), it raises questions about how far microplastics are traveling and what that could mean for the food we eat.
Three days away from shore, in the darkened control room of a huge ship, all eyes are fixed on a glowing wall of screens. Live images of mussels and snails appear. The animals are packed around a deep-sea chimney venting something that looks like black smoke, but is actually superheated, mineral-rich water bursting from the […]