Researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered that ascidians, also known as sea squirts, can thrive in both dirty industrial areas and clean waters, allowing them to detect and analyse waste and its impact in various regions.
The researchers hope that the sea squirts will be able to help them look at the long-term impact of microplastic in the oceans.
The team of researchers tested sites along Israel’s coast and found the microplastics were present at all sites.
Gal Vered of Tel Aviv University, who co-published the research, said: “Sea squirts just sit in one place all their life and filter the water like a pump. They can really give us a picture of what the whole reef, and the whole ecosystem felt during its life.”
The research findings concluded that: “Discovering bioaccumulation of phthalates and plastic particles in ascidians presents a new approach for biomonitoring the presences of contamination originating from plastic pollution.”
“The global distribution of invasive ascidians offers a comparable method making use of the same species to assess microplastic and phthalates pollution in various locations around the world, and further ascertain their physiological impact.”
Via Reuters