"Plastic-Eating Fungus Discovered in Great Pacific Garbage Patch"
Scientists have discovered a marine fungus, Parengyodontium album, on plastic debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that can break down polyethylene, a common plastic pollutant. This fungus could offer a biological solution to mitigate oceanic plastic pollution, as it converts polyethylene into carbon dioxide. The research, conducted by marine microbiologists from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and other institutions, highlights the potential of P. album to degrade plastic, although it requires UV-light exposure to initiate the process.