Hawaii is home to some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes. Striking blue waters, lush jungles, and pristine beaches make it a paradise. It’s also home to other unique inhabitants, such as sea turtles, dolphins, and… plastics?
According to a new study from the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa, plastics are becoming the most prevalent form of pollution in the ocean, which can be detrimental to marine species and their habitat. However, researchers from UH discovered a fungus from Hawai‘i’s nearshore environment that may have the ability to break down plastics, and to top it off, they may be conditioned to do it faster. The findings were recently published in Mycologia.
“Plastic in the environment today is extremely long-lived and is nearly impossible to degrade using existing technologies,” said Ronja Steinbach, lead author of the study and a marine biology undergraduate student at the UH Mānoa College of Natural Sciences, in a press release.
Read More: Tiny Robots Are Fishing For Microplastics
The Unlikely Fungi
Marine fungi may be a term you’ve never heard before. This is likely due to the fact that less than 1 percent of marine fungi are known to science.
“Our research highlights marine fungi as a promising and largely untapped group to investigate for new ways to recycle and remove plastic from nature. Very few people study fungi in the ocean, and we estimated that fewer than one percent of marine fungi are currently described,” said Steinbach in the press release.
For this study, the research team looked at marine fungi found in corals, seaweed, sand, and sponges from Hawai’i’s nearshore. And they hope that the fungi could help degrade plastics in the marine environment.
“Fungi possess a superpower for eating things that other organisms can’t digest (like wood or chitin), so we tested the fungi in our collection for their ability to digest plastic,” said Anthony Amend, Pacific Biosciences Research Center professor and co-lead author of the study, in a press release.
The Hungry Fungi
The team exposed the fastest-growing fungi to small dishes filled with polyurethane, a common plastic, and noted if and how fast the fungi would consume it. The team also “experimentally evolved” the fungi to see if they would grow and consume more polyurethane the more they were exposed to the plastic.
“We were shocked to find that more than 60 percent of the fungi we collected from the ocean had some ability to eat plastic and transform it into fungi,” Steinbach said in a press release. “We were also impressed to see how quickly fungi were able to adapt. It was very exciting to see that in just three months, a relatively short amount of time, some of the fungi were able to increase their feeding rates by as much as 15 percent.”
The research team is currently working to see if these marine fungi can break down other forms of plastics, such as polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate. They’re also trying to understand how, at a molecular level, these fungi can degrade these plastics.
“We hope to collaborate with engineers, chemists, and oceanographers who can leverage these findings into actual solutions to clean up our beaches and oceans,” said Steinbach in a press release.
The Plastic Problem
The advent of plastic brought forth vast consumer change. Not only was plastic more versatile and used in items ranging from containers to clothing, but it was also much more affordable than previously used materials. However, the downfall of plastic is that it doesn’t break down easily and can last for thousands of years.
Because of this, plastics in various forms have found their way into the waterways, including our oceans. While plastic doesn’t decompose like other materials, it can break down into small pieces, known as microplastics, that can then get into our food and drinking water supply.
Beyond that, according to the researchers, these plastics, when exposed to sun or heavy force — like crashing waves — can release harmful chemicals such as phthalates and bisphenol A or be ingested by marine wildlife, which can lead to starvation and death. The effects of plastic pollution are not isolated to Hawai’i; it’s impacting all oceans and the life within them or those who rely on them.
Solving this plastic problem won’t happen overnight. However, the UH research team believes that a fungus may be part of the solution.
Read More: Our Brains Are Soaking Up Microplastics More Than Other Organs
Article Sources
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A graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.
