Microbead Pollution Harms Oysters, Ocean's Ecosystem Engineers: Study

"Oysters eat by filtering the water around them and digesting anything small enough to trap, whether that’s algae, phytoplankton — or tiny pieces of plastic floating in the ocean.

It stands to reason that the plastic isn't good for them. Now scientists know why: It takes such a toll on their digestive systems that their ability to reproduce is cut almost in half, according to a study published this month in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientists recently estimated that the world’s oceans contain more than 5 trillion floating plastic particles, which have a combined weight of 250,000 tons."

Sean Greene reports for the Los Angeles Times February 9, 2016.