A manifestation of the effects of human activity on the environment was recently discovered on the island of Trindade, located in the Atlantic Ocean some 1,200 km off the coast of Brazil. Crusts of plastic waste, also called "plasticroûtes", have formed in some places on the rocks. The place is however isolated and only accessible after several days of navigation.
It is also reserved for military or scientific visitors. The pollution of the seas by plastic materials has created this layer of greenish color observed for the first time in 2019. The geologist Fernanda Avelar Santos had discovered the phenomenon covering 12 m² of rocks on the beach of Turtles, which happens to be the largest ecological reserve in the world.
Fishing nets, bottles and various waste
The scientist took samples of the crust. Analyses have shown that this is a new type of geological formation generated by the encrustation of plastic waste in the rock. This pollution comes from fishing nets, plastic bottles and various domestic waste, among others. Fernanda Avelar Santos took samples more recently and is now working to better understand the phenomenon.
The situation is all the more worrying as the island of Trindade serves as a sanctuary for many endangered species. The researcher explained that she fears that the erosion that affects the rock will eventually release microorganisms from polluting plastic into the water. The balance of the food chain of animals living on the Brazilian island would then be threatened.
- Planet
- Brazil
- Atlantic Ocean
- Pollution
- Plastic