<
https://theconversation.com/how-microplastics-hurt-the-hidden-helpers-that-keep-our-coasts-healthy-280266>
"Walk across a mudflat at low tide and you might notice small, neat mounds of
sediment scattered across the surface.
These so-called “chimneys” are the calling card of the humble bamboo worm
(
Macroclymenella stewartensis) which inhabits sandy sediments within New
Zealand’s sheltered bays and estuaries.
Despite their hidden lives and small size – most measure just a few centimetres
long – these worms have an outsized influence on the health of our marine
environment.
But now there are troubling signs that microplastics – tiny but pervasive
fragments of broken-down plastic – are disrupting the vital role the worms
play, with potentially wider effects we are only just beginning to understand."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
