Plastic is everywhere, and rocks are no exception. A team of geologists studying a remote island off the coast of Brazil have found that rocks are forming out of plastic waste, renewing the scientific community’s sense of urgency surrounding plastic pollution.
Researchers typically flock to Trindade Island to study its involvement in green sea turtle procreation. Thousands of green turtles arrive at the volcanic island each year to lay their eggs, protected by Trindade’s wildlife refuge status and the island’s few humans. On their latest excursion, however, researchers with the Federal University of Parana found that plastic litter has grown so prolific that it’s becoming a part of the island’s geology.
Geologist Fernanda Avelar Santos and her colleagues found plastic intertwined with rocks on Trindade’s shores. Trindade’s only human inhabitants work on the island’s small Brazilian navy base; any other human influence comes from far away. Upon taking a few of the rocks (called “plastiglomerates”) back to the lab, Santos’ team confirmed that they were polluted mainly by fishing nets, which marine currents often drag to Trindade’s beaches from remote operations in South America and Africa.
“This is new and terrifying at the same time, because pollution has reached geology,” Santos told Reuters.