“PLASTISFERA”: A NEW THREAT IN THE OCEAN

Pelagos Sanctuary in Italy is in danger

The maritime area between Tuscany, Liguria, Corsica, and the French Riviera is known, among environmentalists, as “Pelagos Sanctuary”. This area has been piling up a shocking amount of plastic, which has created what is now called the “plastisphere”, a new sea ecosystem born around a mass of plastic waste. It covers about 80% of the area from the surface to the seafloor. It is composed of organisms that can be dangerous to fishes, birds, and mammals and it is threatening cetaceans.  

These organisms are dangerous its selves, but they can also develop bacteria, algae, and viruses potentially harmful for the marine inhabitants.  

What is PelagosFree?

PelagosFree is a project financed by various regions of Italy, the Principality of Monaco and France, and their participation with Legambiente and Expedition Med. It is a project born to study this “Plastisfera”, collecting information about its microbial communities, its consequences, and the potential damage to the ocean, the environment, and all the animal species. In this zone microplastic and textile fibers in very high percentages have been found in fishes; in shrimp and mussels, the presence of ingested plastic has reached 75%. 

So, it was necessary to start planning a scenario to find solutions. First of all, an awareness campaign was born to educate people about this very real problem. The campaign started from schools to raise awareness among young people; and from sea operators, such as fishing communities, because as they produce a large amount of waste due to their work that usually ends up in sea. Moreover, associations have been built up to free the Pelagos Sanctuary, starting from regional administrations to improve their management of urban waste. 

 
Plastic pollution facts

We have known for years that plastic is polluting our planet, especially seas and oceans; and we also know that in as many years the marine ecosystem will be full of plastic more than fishes if we do not act to find a solution now. 

This is only one of the many examples of plastic pollution consequences, and what mono-plastic causes not only to our environment but also to us. So, we need to find an urgent solution, that starts from the commitment and responsibility of everybody towards a more sustainable world. 

 

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