The new face of the plastics crisis Published on: 5 March 2020 Â鶹´«Ã½ research has uncovered the presence of plastic in a new species of deep-sea amphipods which has been discovered in one of the deepest places on earth. The amphipod - known in informal speech as a “hopper” - was discovered by researchers from Â鶹´«Ã½ in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench between Japan and the Philippines. The researchers officially named the species Eurythenes plasticus in reference to the plastic it has ingested. In its body was polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a substance found in a variety of commonly used household items such as water bottles and workout clothes. The research was supported by WWF and today (5 March). Dr Alan Jamieson, Senior Lecturer in Marine Ecology at Â鶹´«Ã½ and head of the research mission, said: “We decided on the name Eurythenes plasticus as we wanted to highlight the fact that we need to take immediate action to stop the deluge of plastic waste into our oceans.” Far-reaching consequences Before our plastic waste finds its way into the bodies of marine animals, it often undergoes a long journey. A journey, not uncommonly starting in industrial nations, such as the UK. Plastic waste exports frequently end up in Southeast Asia, where waste management is often insufficient or non-existent. Because most of the plastic waste cannot be recycled, it will often get burned or dumped at repositories instead. From there it finds its way into rivers and, ultimately, into the ocean. Once in the water, plastic waste breaks apart into micro plastics and spreads through the ocean where it is ingested by marine animals such as E. Plasticus. Heike Vesper, Director of the Marine Programme at WWF Germany, said: “The newly discovered species Eurythenes plasticus shows us how far-reaching the consequences of our inadequate handling of plastic waste truly is. There are species living in the deepest, most remote places on earth which have already ingested plastic before they are even known about by humankind. Plastics are in the air that we breathe, in the water that we drink and now also in animals that live far away from human civilization.” To end marine plastic pollution globally, we need a global solution. To achieve this goal, in 2019 WWF launched an international campaign calling for a global legally binding treaty to reduce plastic waste, improve waste management and end marine plastic pollution. Every minute of every day at least one truck load of plastic waste enters our oceans. In order to end this tremendous onslaught of plastic waste, WWF has launched a worldwide petition, which has been signed by more than 1.6 million people across the world. Supporters can to commit to working towards an international, legally binding treaty. REFERENCE: New species of Eurythenes from hadal depths of the Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean (Crustacea: Amphipoda) JOHANNA N. J. WESTON, PRISCILLA CARRILLO-BARRAGAN, THOMAS D. LINLEY, WILLIAM D. K. REID, ALAN J. JAMIESON DOI: Share: Latest News Volunteers help turn Whitley Bay beach into maths experiment Members of the public joined mathematicians from Â鶹´«Ã½ to create what organisers believe is the largest aperiodic tiling ever attempted on Whitley Bay beach. published on: 15 June 2026 Student leader drives misogyny law change A Â鶹´«Ã½ student leader has helped change the law after creating a petition to make misogyny a hate crime, which gathered over 114,000 signatures, prompting action in Parliament. published on: 12 June 2026 Freemen of Â鶹´«Ã½ see construction of new Castle Leazes The Freemen of Â鶹´«Ã½ and other key stakeholders have become an indelible part of new student accommodation at Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s Castle Leazes. published on: 12 June 2026 Facts and figures
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