Eurythenes plasticus: Tiny newly discovered sea creature named after plastic found in its gut

Eurythenes Plasticus
Newcastle University
Kit Heren11 March 2020

Scientists have named a tiny new sea creature after the plastic they found in its gut.

The new species, named Eurythenes plasticus, had a microfibre that was 83 per cent similar to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in its digestive system, according to the scientists who discovered it.

PET is used in plastic bottles and food packaging, among other applications.

Johanna Weston, a PhD student and one of the lead authors of the study, said in a statement: "Finding a new species that we didn't know was there before and finding plastic in it just shows how widespread this is as a pollutant."

She told the Standard: "Naming a species is like naming a child. You want it to be memorable."

Ms Weston added that the name would help people understand that their behaviour can even have an impact on animals living far beneath the sea.

She denied that the name was gimmicky, given that other species have recently been named after public figures like Lady Gaga and the band Metallica.

The creature was living in the Mariana Trench, nearly 7,000 metres under the Pacific Ocean between Japan and the Philippines.

Dr Alan Jamieson, senior lecturer in Marine Ecology at Newcastle University, who led the research mission, said in a statement: “We decided on the name Eurythenes plasticus as we wanted to highlight the fact that we need to take immediate action to stop the deluge of plastic waste into our oceans.”​

According to a 2015 report by the journal Science, between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans every year.

Researchers looking for the new creature
Newcastle University

Heike Vesper, director of WWF Germany's marine programme, which supported the study, added in a statement: “The newly discovered species Eurythenes plasticus shows us how far-reaching the consequences of our inadequate handling of plastic waste truly is.

"There are species living in the deepest, most remote places on earth which have already ingested plastic before they are even known about by humankind.

"Plastics are in the air that we breathe, in the water that we drink and now also in animals that live far away from human civilization.”

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