In 46 sharks that were tested – including the bull huss, small-spotted catshark, spiny dogfish and starry smooth-hound – 379 separate particles were discovered. The particles pollute the oceans where fabrics, plastics and other materials are broken down from beaches or further inland, and carried to the sea via rivers.
The study follows the revelation that sharks are now ‘functionally extinct’ in many of Earth’s coral reef ecosystems. The study, which was conducted collaboratively by a number of marine organisations, found that in 371 coral reefs in 58 separate countries, sharks were absent from 20% of these spaces… making them functionally extinct. You can find the fully published article here.
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