WIREDSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuWIREDAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoLivestreamsWIRED StoreSearchSearchRitsuko KawaiScienceSep 29, 2026 5:30 AMPlastic Is Melting Onto CoralsScientists have found a new form of pollution, one where plastic and pieces of coral become irreversibly intertwined.Plastic has been found fused into coral rubble on beaches in Japan.Photograph: Ilechukwu et al., 2026CommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyMarine plastic pollution is rampant. That’s nothing new. Plastic waste has been found in a variety of marine ecosystems, including beaches, coral reefs, and even some of the ocean’s farthest depths. While a precise measurement is difficult, it’s estimated that several million metric tons of plastic lie on the seafloor.
Scientists have been recording marine animals entangled in or consuming plastic debris for over half a century, some even proposing the term “Plastocene” (the Plastic Age) to denote the geological epoch spanning from the 195...
Scientists have been recording marine animals entangled in or consuming plastic debris for over half a century, some even proposing the term “Plastocene” (the Plastic Age) to denote the geological epoch spanning from the 195...
WIREDSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuWIREDAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoLivestreamsWIRED StoreSearchSearchRitsuko KawaiScienceSep 29, 2026 5:30 AMPlastic Is Melting Onto CoralsScientists have found a new form of pollution, one where plastic and pieces of coral become irreversibly intertwined.Plastic has been found fused into coral rubble on beaches in Japan.Photograph: Ilechukwu et al., 2026CommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyMarine plastic pollution is rampant. That’s nothing new. Plastic waste has been found in a variety of marine ecosystems, including beaches, coral reefs, and even some of the ocean’s farthest depths. While a precise measurement is difficult, it’s estimated that several million metric tons of plastic lie on the seafloor.
Scientists have been recording marine animals entangled in or consuming plastic debris for over half a century, some even proposing the term “Plastocene” (the Plastic Age) to denote the geological epoch spanning from the 195...
