We recently spoke on this program about how up to 28 billion pounds of plastic debris enters the world’s oceans every year. Well now a new study has shed some light on how this and other human-caused pollution may be impacting deep-water marine fish.
According to the research, deep-water marine fish living at depths of up to one mile are exhibiting liver pathologies, tumors, and other health issues that may be linked to human-caused pollution. The research also discovered a deep-water fish species with an intersex condition – a blend of male and female sex organs.
Several other studies conducted in West Coast national parks have also found links between human-caused pollution and fish health.
The research on deep-water marine fish, which was published in the Marine Environmental Research, was conducted by scientists from Oregon State University, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science in the UK, among other agencies, and supported by the EU.
Michael Kent is a professor of microbiology at Oregon State University and is a co-author of this research project.
“We see fishes from all parts of the world in areas that we think are pristine that show pathological changes consistent with consistent with fishes that have been subjected to pollution and this warrants further investigation – such as follow-up work by chemists, etc – to see if these changes that we see in these areas really are associated with pollution.”
Researchers also say it’s too early to say for sure that the changes in deep-water fish are linked to pollution because exposure to naturally-occurring compounds could have the same effects. But follow-up analysis is needed to figure out whether human activities are indeed causing these pathological changes in fish.
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Web Extra
Full interview with Michael Kent, a professor of microbiology at Oregon State University
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Web Links
Fish face pollution a mile deep
Photo, posted October 24, 2013, courtesy of Benson Kua via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.