Mussels lose grip when exposed to microplastics – study

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Researchers say effects will be felt beyond molluscs as reefs shelter other marine life

Mussels start to lose their grip when exposed to microplastics, research has found, in the latest example of the damaging effects of plastic pollution on marine life.

When blue mussels were exposed to doses of non-biodegradable microplastics over 52 days, they lost about half their power to stick to surfaces. The weakening of their attachment appears to be the result of producing many fewer byssal threads, the thin fibres produced by mussels that enable them to attach to rocks, ropes and other undersea environments.

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from The Guardian http://bit.ly/2MEePpW

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