News
26/01/18 - Plastics smell good ?
Lab studies just revealed that Anchovy like plastic smell! More precisely, Anchovy display a behaviour characterizing appetite while smelling biofouling plastic (i.e. plastic that spend time into the sea) [1]. The cause is likely a small molecule, the DMS which is a kind of olfactive signature of marine plankton [2]. The efficiency of this mechanism out of lab and the interaction with other fish senses should be further investigated.
[1] M. S. Savoca, C. W. Tyson, M. McGill, and C. J. Slager, ‘Odours from marine plastic debris induce food search behaviours in a forage fish’, Proc R Soc B, vol. 284, no. 1860, p. 20171000, Aug. 2017.
[2] J. L. DeBose, S. C. Lema, and G. A. Nevitt, ‘Dimethylsulfoniopropionate as a foraging cue for reef fishes’, Science, vol. 319, no. 5868, p. 1356, Mar. 2008.
13/12/2017 - Trensistor Webradio: First radio show on Oceasciences
Oceasciences is proud to have been for the first time the guest of a webradio. Trensistor, ENS' webradio has welcome the organisation to talk about ExploraGyre.
The organisation has been talking about the whole project, and especially the main differences with the other expeditions studying plastics.
The partnership and the drawback awaited have also been discussed.
Unfortunately the whole show is in french but if you have questions about it or feedbacks, let us know !
10/07/17 - Costa Concordia: after the wreck
While the captain of the Costa Concordia has recently been sentenced to 16 years imprisonment after the cruise ship wreck on 13 January 2012 near to Italy, scientific studies of the impact on Mediterranean fauna and flora proliferate. The latest [1] is particularly interesting for us because it deals with the plastic pollution caused by the wreck. Indeed, it shows that microplastics ingestion by fish is more frequent in the wreck area (with 95% of fish affected against 77% in a control area) but also more intense (with about 4 microplastics ingested by fish against 2 in a control area). Moreover, the composition of pollutants is different with a higher proportion of nylon and polyester in the wreck area. This could be explained, not by the wreck itself, but the ropes used during the removal of the ship. Another article [2] confirms the impact of the rescue operations after the wreck on the sea floor. Yet, a previous study [3] using mussels as biomarkers did not show any growing pollution in the wreck area in 2013.
[1] Microplastics pollution after the removal of the Costa Concordia wreck: First evidences from a biomonitoring case study, Carlo Giacomo Avio et al., Environmental Pollution 227 (2017) 207-214
[2] Assessment of the impact of salvaging the Costa Concordia wreck on the deep coralligenous habitats, E. Casoli et al., Ecological Indicators 80 (2017) 124–134
[3] A multidisciplinary weight of evidence approach for environmental risk assessment at the Costa Concordia wreck: Integrative indices from Mussel Watch, Francesco Regoli et al., Marine Environmental Research 96 (2014) 92-104
Credits: OceaSciences
06/07/17 - Sailing Lego
Don’t be surprised if you find a Lego toy on the shore this summer, it might be a survivor from a spill of more than 4 millions Lego in the South-West England 20 years ago. Those toys witness the dramatic persistence of plastic in the oceans and their accumulation in streams, as shown by simulations that you can try here [1]. Surprisingly, those Lego that you can report here, are found all over the world! This demonstrates the surprising connectivity between the gyres predicted by physical models [2]. So next time you will throw plastic, think twice because it could end on a virgin island or on the Antarctica, already scarred as shown by a recent study [3].
[1] E. van Sebille, ‘The oceans’ accumulating plastic garbage’, 61, Feb. 2015.
[2] E. van Sebille, M. H. England, and G. Froyland, ‘Origin, dynamics and evolution of ocean garbage patches from observed surface drifters’, Environ. Res. Lett., vol. 7, no. 4, p. 044040, 2012.
[3] C. L. Waller et al., ‘Microplastics in the Antarctic marine system: An emerging area of research’, Sci. Total Environ., vol. 598, pp. 220–227, Nov. 2017.
Credits: Lego.com
17/05/17 - Bioplastics
In addition to recycling and limiting plastic use, the evolution of plastic composition itself could be an important way of curbing plastic pollution. With the apparition of biodegradable compounds, mainly decomposed by bacteria, solutions exist. Those bioplastics could be obtained from renewable raw materials, such as vegetals. One of the most produced biodegradable plastic is the polylactic acid (PLA) made from cornstarch. Its chemical and physical properties allow a wide utilization, for instance in 3D printing, medical implants and food packaging. Yet, the production of such plastics is still complicated and more expensive than usual ones. However, a recent study describes a new production method cheaper and with low energy requirement [1]. Researchers reaches a high efficiency polymerization at ambient temperature with aluminum complexes as catalyzers. This method could lead to a more common utilization of biodegradable plastics to reduce pollution.
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[1] C. Robert et al. Mechanistic aspects of the polymerization of lactide using a highly efficient aluminum (III) catalytic system. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 11 Avril 2017. doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b01749
05/05/17 - Plastic-eating caterpillars?​
Recently, a scientist discovered caterpillars feeding on plastics in her garden. Helped by two biochemists, she studied further these caterpillars and their potential ability to degrade plastics [1]. They managed to show that Galleria mellonella, the caterpillar, can degrade a plastic film. More interestingly, it seems to be able to turn polyethylene into a smaller compound. If they succeed in finding the enzyme, the gut agent making the caterpillar capable of degrading plastics, we could produce it for plastic biodegradation. Hoping for a plastic biodegradation is not new though. Back in 2001, a fungus able to degrade polyethylene, Penicillium simplicissimum YK, has been found [2]. In 2014, a bacteria located in waxworms guts with this ability has also been discovered [3]. Even if scientists still have a lot of work to take advantage of these discoveries, they allow hope for a breakthrough to fight plastic pollution.
[1] P.Bombelli, C. J. Howe, F. Bertocchini,"Polyethylene bio-degradation by caterpillars of the wax moth Galleria mellonella", Current Biology, Elsevier, 24 April 2017
Katsuyaya, Atsushi Saiganji, 5th Yoshiki TaniDegradation of Polyethylene by a fungus, Penicillium Y.[2] K. Yamada-Onodera, H. Mukumoto, simplicissimum YK, Polymer Degradation and Stability 72(2):323-327 · May 2001
[3] Evidence of Polyethylene Biodegradation by Bacterial Strains from the Guts of Plastic-Eating Waxworms, Jun Yang, Yu Yang, Wei-Min Wu, Jiao Zhao, and Lei Jiang, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2014, 48 (23), pp 13776–13784 November 10, 2014
22/03/17 - A new method to quantify microplastics?
On March 16th, an article from Nature [1] (available here) described a new method to detect, quantify, and even categorize microplastics. Nile Red, a fluorescent compound, can be absorbed specifically by plastics and make it fluorescent under blue light. Moreover, physicochemical properties of this compound could allow a categorization: indeed, plastics with different composition will have different fluorescence emissions. Once standardized, this method could permit quicker and more complete studies of microplastics in water samples. These types of studies, like the one led by OceaSciences, is needed to better understand plastic pollution.
[1] T. Maes, R. Jessop, N. Wellner, K. Haupt & A. G. Mayes, "A rapid-screening approach to detect and quantify microplastics based on fluorescent tagging with Nile Red", Nature, Scientific Reports 7, Article 44501, 2017
Credit: OceaSciences
27/02/17 - Pollution plastic has effects in water depths up to 11,000 meters
Oceanic abysses remain the most remote and poorest known ecosystems on Earth [1]. A research team assessed POPs (persistent organic pollutant) in oceanic trenches, and the results, which have been published very recently, are disastrous [2]. In the Mariana Trench which is the deepest area in Earth reaching 11,000 meters in depth, amphipods (small crustaceans, well used as bioindicators) revealed PCBs amount higher than the amount in Suruga bay (Japan), one of the most polluted areas in the Earth! PCBs are very harmful chemical pollutants (today forbidden), that accumulate in oceans, as plastic does [3]. How was this marine sanctuary, likely less explored than the Moon, turned into a pollution hotspot? Once again, plastic continents could have a main role in the process, carrying a lot of pollutants, and among them the dreadful POPs, including PCBs. Answers to this deep sick of the ocean will thus be asked in the surface with the ExploraGyre project
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[1] A. J. Jamieson, T. Fujii, D. J. Mayor, M. Solan, et I. G. Priede, « Hadal trenches: the ecology of the deepest places on Earth », Trends Ecol. Evol., vol. 25, no 3, p. 190‑197, mars 2010.
[2] A. J. Jamieson, T. Malkocs, S. B. Piertney, T. Fujii, et Z. Zhang, « Bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in the deepest ocean fauna », Nat. Ecol. Evol., vol. 1, p. 0051, févr. 2017.
[3] S. Tanabe, « PCB problems in the future: foresight from current knowledge », Environ. Pollut. Barking Essex 1987, vol. 50, no 1‑2, p. 5‑28, 1988.
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Credit: OceaSciences
21/02/17 - Whales alert us
Last week, a seven-meter whale beached on the Finnish coast (available here). A huge amount of plastic has been found in its stomach, and zoologists assumed that the plastic clogged the whale’s stomach, making it suffer from malnutrition and ultimately killing it. Last year, a study on 22 stranded whales in Germany revealed also a huge plastic ingestion by the cetaceans, such as a piece of car bumper or even a fishing net measuring 13 meters long! [1] Mortal impact of macroplastics on marine organisms such as turtles, birds, cetaceans has been well-known for a long time. [2] Unfortunately, this is just the obvious part of plastic pollution. Indeed, more than 92% of plastics in the ocean are microplastics (<4.75mm)[3], and their effects are more difficult to understand. This is why the Exploragyre project aims to study microplastics.
[1] B. Unger et al., « Large amounts of marine debris found in sperm whales stranded along the North Sea coast in early 2016 », Mar. Pollut. Bull., vol. 112, no 1–2, p. 134‑141, nov. 2016.
[2] D. W. Laist, « Overview of the biological effects of lost and discarded plastic debris in the marine environment », Mar. Pollut. Bull., vol. 18, no 6, p. 319‑326, juin 1987.
[3] M. Eriksen et al., « Plastic Pollution in the World’s Oceans: More than 5 Trillion Plastic Pieces Weighing over 250,000 Tons Afloat at Sea », PLOS ONE, vol. 9, no 12, p. e111913, déc 2014.
Credit: OceaSciences
15/02/17 - More plastics than fish in oceans by 2050 ?
On January 19th, the Devos forum exposed a report from the famous sailor Ellen MacArthur’s association and McKinsey agency among others. This report (available here) assumes that in 2050, there will be more plastics than fish in world oceans! Both their weight will reach an amount of 150 million tons. Nevertheless, this estimate is hard to ascertain. Indeed, the most recent scientific study assumes that today 250 000 tons of plastics float in the world oceans [1]. This study also points out that the microplastics fading rate is much higher than expected… So what is the fate of the 12.7 million tons of plastics discharged each year in the world oceans? [2] Among all the hypotheses, bioaccumulation such as fish ingestion could play a leading role. A task of the Exploragyre project will be to further investigate this role.
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[1] M. Eriksen et al., « Plastic Pollution in the World’s Oceans: More than 5 Trillion Plastic Pieces Weighing over 250,000 Tons Afloat at Sea », PLOS ONE, vol. 9, no 12, p. e111913, déc 2014.
[2] J. R. Jambeck et al., « Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean », Science, vol. 347, no 6223, p. 768‑771, févr. 2015.
Credit: OceaSciences