Microplastic Pollution Worsens Off the Coast of Yeosu

Off the coast of Yeosu in southern South Korea, large quantities of discarded fishing nets and plastic fishing gear are washed into the sea with the rising tide. Nylon fishing nets and plastic buoys continuously break down under the combined effects of seawater erosion and sunlight, forming large amounts of microplastics suspended in the water; these particles are easily ingested by juvenile fish and crustaceans, causing toxic additives to accumulate up the food chain. As this area serves as a nursery ground for various commercially important fish species, long-term pollution will reduce the quality of the catch and increase the likelihood of toxin accumulation in seafood.