FRAGMENTS of fishing equipment and microplastics have been found inside sea creatures living on Scotland’s only inshore deep-water coral reef.
Scientists discovered plastic fibres inside starfish and sea worms at the west coast’s Mingulay Reef Complex.
The find at the designated marine protected area highlights the extent of ocean littering, the University of Edinburgh team have said.
Professor Murray Roberts said: “It’s staggering to find our plastic waste has spread so far, to this remote and stunningly beautiful place.
“We need to not treat the ocean as our junkyard, and work to better understand what effect these tiny plastic fragments are having on marine life.”
The study, in collaboration with the University of Manchester, was published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
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