2024-01-28 20:48:51
All over the world, in search of shells to protect their bodies and organs, hermit crabs end up turning to plastic trash instead of natural shells.
According to BBCthe information is from a study published this month in Science of the Total Environment. The research authors say that two-thirds of hermit crab species were caught in these “artificial shells”, formed from human waste.
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Researchers say they are devastated to see how far animals have come to live with our trash. The work was carried out using photos taken by wildlife enthusiasts and published on the internet.
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Marta Szulkin, Zuzanna Jagiello and Łukasz Dylewski from the University of Warsaw found at least 386 crabs with artificial shells, especially plastic lids.
We started to notice something completely out of the ordinary. Instead of being adorned with beautiful snail shells, which is what we are used to seeing, they had a red plastic bottle cap or a piece of light bulb on their backs.
Marta Szulkin from the University of Warsaw
“According to our calculations, ten of the 16 species of land hermit crabs in the world use this type of shelter, and this has been observed in all tropical regions of the Earth,” continued Szulkin.
Research has not yet been able to indicate whether the materials are bad (or even good) for animals. “When I first saw these images, I felt devastated,” Szulkin said.
At the same time, I believe we need to really understand the fact that we are living in a different era, and animals are using what is available to them.
Marta Szulkin from the University of Warsaw
- As pointed out above, researchers came to the conclusion that hermit crabs using artificial shells from our waste is a worldwide thing;
- They also point out that the results raise questions about how coastal crustaceans interact with plastic and how they use it;
- They also seek to understand whether this causes any harm to animals and how this can affect their evolution.
This species of crab lives looking for a shell to protect their fragile bodies. With a shortage of shells, they literally fight among themselves for what is available.
“What we don’t know is how much the novelty factor might affect them — and whether the crabs will fight over artificial plastic shells,” Szulkin said.
Lighter, plastic shells could help smaller and more fragile crabs survive, given their lightness and ease of carrying when compared to natural shells.
Furthermore, there is no shortage of plastic for crabs. It is estimated that at least 171 trillion pieces of plastic are scattered in the oceans, a number that could triple by 2040 if we do not act.
However, there is hope: this year, countries must sign a global treaty to end pollution of the seas and oceans.
HAS BBCMark Miodownik, professor of materials and society at University Colloge London (England) explained that the attitude of hermit crabs should serve as an example to humans:
“Just like hermit crabs, we should reuse plastic much more, instead of discarding it”, he pointed out.
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