Hopes that seagrass could reduce plastic pollution undermined by new analysis

In 2021, reports emerged that Mediterranean seagrasses were able to trap plastic waste in their leaves and lock microplastics in sediments on the seabed. The reports cited a study of Neptune grass which showed that when the species shed its leaves, some plastic debris was carried back to shore, cleaning the marine environment. However, a recent meta-analysis by Alice Rotini from Italy's Institute for Environmental Protection and Research reveals that plastic pollution harms seagrasses, reducing growth, photosynthesis, and nutrient cycling. Additionally, high microplastic levels in Neptune grass meadows correlate with fewer crustaceans and molluscs. Other experts emphasise that plastics reduce the ability of seagrasses to capture carbon. (Hakai)