Plastic pollution kills half a million snails

The study found that 508,000 soul-borrowed snails died on the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean, along with 61,000 on Henderson Island in the South Pacific . Previous studies have found high levels of plastic pollution in both locations.

Researchers from the Antarctic and Marine Research Institute at the University of Tasmania, the Natural History Museum in London and the community science organization, Project Two Hands, have found one to two crabs per square meter. On the beach was killed by rubbish.

Picture 1 of Plastic pollution kills half a million snails
The borrowed snails are seriously affected by plastic pollution.

They surveyed locations on four islands of the Cocos and Henderson Islands to find plastic containers. They then extrapolated their results on 15 other islands in the Cocos archipelago.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that snails borrow souls to use the 'home' of the dead, leading to many crabs trapped in the same area. There are even cases where 526 crabs were found in a plastic box.

Snails borrow souls without their own shell, which means that when one of their compatriots dies, they emit a chemical signal that basically says there is an existing shell, which attracts more crabs to come. It's basically a terrible chain reaction.

In particular, shellfish are an important part of the tropical environment because they disperse seeds and aerate and fertilize the soil, so their decline can have a significant impact on ecosystems. around.

Cocos and Henderson Islands are heavily polluted, with 414m and 38m debris, found on their beaches and in nearby vegetation.

Dr Jennifer Lavers, who led the study, said the results were shocking but perhaps not surprising. It is inevitable that these creatures will interact and be affected by plastic pollution with such environment

The team said their findings indicate the need for an urgent investigation of soul death rates around the world.