Professional Documents
Culture Documents
NatureAsu. Meadows PDF
NatureAsu. Meadows PDF
NatureAsu. Meadows PDF
Like 0 Tweet
Scientific Reports
January 15, 2021
Underwater seagrass meadows may trap, extract and carry marine plastic
debris to shore, thereby helping to remove plastic litter from the sea,
according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
Previous research suggests that most plastics end up on the seafloor and
that some are washed back to shore; however, how this occurs was unclear.
Seagrass meadows are widespread in shallow coastal waters and are involved in trapping and binding sediment
particles that form the seabed. To assess the role that seagrass may have in trapping and removing marine plastic,
Anna Sanchez-Vidal and colleagues measured the amount of plastic debris collected from seagrass litter from four
beaches in Mallorca, Spain, between 2018 and 2019. Mallorca has extensive seagrass meadows and high levels of
plastic near the shore. The authors found plastic debris among 50% of 42 loose seagrass leaf samples and
intertwined in 17% of 198 balls of seagrass fibers, known as aegagropilae or Neptune balls. Up to 613 and 1,470
plastic items were found per kilogram of loose leaves and Neptune balls, respectively.
Using this data and estimates of seagrass fiber production in the Mediterranean, the authors propose that
Mediterranean
We use cookies seagrass meadows may
to personalise trap up
content andto ads,
867 million plasticsocial
to provide items media
in Neptune balls alone
features each
and to year, our
analyse
although the also
traffic. We number of these
share carried toabout
information shore your
and the
usefate
of of
ourplastic onceour
site with washed ashore
social is unknown.
media, advertising and
analytics partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can manage your preferences in
The findings suggest that seagrass meadows may help counteract marine plastic pollution. As previous research
'Manage Cookies'.
found that seagrass areas in the Mediterranean Sea have decreased by 13–50% since 1960, seagrass meadow
❯ Manage Cookies
conservation should remain a priority, according to the authors. ✓ Accept Cookies
doi:10.1038/s41598-020-79370-3
Original article
Research highlights
Jan 15 Environment: Seagrass meadows may facilitate marine plastic removal from the
sea Scientific Reports
Jan 15 Planetary Science: Mercury may have shrunk less than previously
&
thought Communications Earth Environment
Jan 14 Genetics: Evolutionary isolation of dire wolves put them in dire straits Nature
Jan 13 Environment: Polyester fibres found to be widespread in the Arctic Nature
Communications
Jan 13 Genetics: Correcting for genetic associations between alcohol and disease Nature
Communications
Jan 8 Archaeology: Sharing leftover meat may have contributed to early dog
domestication Scientific Reports
Subscribe
Subscribe to the world's leading scientific publications
E-alert signup
Register for free weekly e-alerts!
Nature Index
A global indicator of high-quality research
Stay connected:
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our
traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and
analytics partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can manage your preferences in
'Manage Cookies'.
8h
Nature Asia-Pacific
@NatureAsia
Environment: Seagrass meadows may facilitate
marine plastic removal from the sea | Scientific
Reports go.nature.com/2LONZ2b #Environment
#marineplastic
Chemistry
We use Clinical
cookies Practice & Research
to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our
traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and
analyticsEarth
partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can manage your preferences in
& Environment
'Manage Cookies'.
Nature China
Nature India
Hot Topics
Research highlights
Top ten highlights
Nature Index
Site licenses
About us
Contact us
Help
Partnerships
Subscribe to e-alerts
Privacy policy
ISMS policy
Sitemap
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our
traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and
analytics partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can manage your preferences in
'Manage Cookies'.