Neptune Balls: Seagrass Acts as Natural Plastic Sifters in the Ocean

A type of underwater seagrass found in the Mediterranean Sea might just be one of the most efficient tools in combating oceanic water pollution.

The Posidonia oceanica, more commonly known as Neptune grass or Mediterranean tapeweed, is a seagrass species that inhabit the Mediterranean waters.

These seagrasses are known for playing a vital role in maintaining the ecosystem. They create ball like by-products made from various fibrous materials from its foliage.

These by-products are called "Neptune Balls."

At first glance, these Neptune balls look like a bunch of unimportant plant dirt that serves no purpose. Once they are detached from their respective seagrasses, they just wash up to the nearest shoreline.

But, there's more to these fibre clumps than meets the eye.

Aquafilters

A recent study showed that the Neptune grass actually acts as natural sifters in the ocean and sieves plastic particles in the water.

They trap plastic fragments that float around and gathers them along with their natural fibers in the Neptune balls. When the balls are washed up on the shore, the plastics they carry are effectively purged out of the waters.

Related Article: Seafood's Secret Ingredient: Microplastic

Recent Study

The study, which was published in the Scientific Reports, was spearheaded by a team of marine biologists from the University of Barcelona.

The team's leader, Anna Sanchez-Vidal, confirmed their observation results, saying that they have clear evidence of the extent to which the seagrass can trap plastic waste.

"We show that plastic debris in the seafloor can be trapped in seagrass remains, eventually leaving the marine environment through beaching," Sanchez-Vidal said in an interview.

To put the seagrasses' usability into perspective, they do not just sieve out and filter a minuscule volume of plastics; they can actually trap millions of plastic particles of various sizes.

Despite the project being relatively recent since its establishment in 2018, the team already managed to gather essential data needed to support their claims.

They showed clear proof that the plastic build up in seagrasses can significantly purge the pollutant.

They found plastic debris in half of the loose grass leaf samples collected, with a kilogram of the grass containing approximately 600 pieces of plastic.

As for seagrass denser balls, only 17% of the samples collected were found to contain plastic. However, the balls had plastic at a higher density, with nearly 1,500 plastic bits per kilogram of Neptune ball.

The findings showed the Mediterranean tapeweed's ability to sift and sieve plastic pollutants in the ocean. However, they were not able to accurately identify where the Neptune balls will eventually end up.

Sure, many of the balls washed up in the nearest Spanish beachline. Still, due to the uncertainty of the tides and the unpredictability of where the balls of clumped up fibres will land, they could not identify precise data for that aspect of the study.

"We don't know where they travel," Sanchez-Vidal said. "We only know that some of them are beached during storms."

Despite the unpredictability of where the Neptune balls will eventually end up, the study still showed the seagrass's great benefits.

It's amazing how such idle plant life contributes so much without even moving. And, that's not even counting the fact that seagrass has long been proven to be excellent sources of oxygen!

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