Unprecedented phenomenon: corals in Cascais and Sines are ‘absorbing’ plastics

Country

Portuguese researchers discovered that corals are incorporating fishing nets into their own skeleton.

There are corals in Cascais and Sines that are incorporating fishing nets and threads into the skeleton. Something that has never been described worldwide until now. Researchers are studying the consequences of this phenomenon.

They are orange and white. They inhabit the cold waters of the Portuguese coast and can reach one meter in length. They are called Dendrophyllia Ramea and fishermen say they smell like anise. Divers begin to find them at a depth of 30 meters.

Two years ago, fishermen from Cascais handed over to researchers from MARE – Center for Marine and Environmental Sciences corals with nets embedded in the skeleton itself. Professor Sónia Seixas studied and discovered that this phenomenon has not been described anywhere in the world.

Research at sea near Cascais and Sines showed that six percent of this species of coral then has threads and fishing nets inside the structure itself.

The consequences of this discovery, which has now been published in the scientific journal Marine Pollution Bulletin by researchers Sónia Seixas, João Parrinha, Pedro Gomes and Filipa Bessa, are still unknown.