Researchers find ‘creepy’ plastic rocks – 03/16/2023 – Environment

The geology of volcanic Trindade Island, off the coast of Espírito Santo, has fascinated scientists for years, but the discovery of rocks made from plastic debris in the remote turtle refuge is raising alarm.

The melted plastic mixed with the rocks on the island, located 1,140 km from Espírito Santo, which researchers say is evidence of increasing human influence on Earth’s geological cycles.

“This is really very new and at the same time frightening”, said Fernanda Avelar Santos, a geologist at UFPR (Federal University of Paraná).

Fernanda and her team carried out chemical tests to find out what kind of plastic is in rocks called “plastiglomerates”, because they are made of a mixture of sedimentary granules and other debris held together by plastic.

“We identified that they come mainly from fishing nets. This is very common garbage on the beaches of Trindade Island, which arrives through ocean currents and accumulates on the shore”, said Fernanda Santos.

Trindade Island is one of the most important conservation spots in the world for the green sea turtle, or Chelonia mydas, with thousands arriving each year to nest. The only human inhabitants of Trindade are members of the Brazilian Navy, which maintains a base on the island and protects the turtle nesting grounds.

“The place where we found these (plastic) samples is a permanent preservation area in Brazil, close to the green turtle nesting site”, said the geologist.

The discovery raises questions about the legacy of humans on Earth, says Fernanda.

“What people talk so much about the Anthropocene is this, the Anthropocene is this here. Pollution, garbage in the sea, plastic incorrectly dumped in the oceans, is transforming and transforming itself into geological material that can be preserved in the record (of the planet).”