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  4. Can plankton be genetically modified to clean up the sea of tiny plastic particles in the ocean?
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Can plankton be genetically modified to clean up the sea of tiny plastic particles in the ocean?

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Offline thedoc (OP)

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Can plankton be genetically modified to clean up the sea of tiny plastic particles in the ocean?
« on: 17/04/2015 18:50:03 »
Simon Emmott asked the Naked Scientists:
   Can plankton be genetically modified to consume and clean up the sea of tiny plastic particles in the ocean?

What do you think?
« Last Edit: 17/04/2015 18:50:03 by _system »
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Re: Can plankton be genetically modified to clean up the sea of tiny plastic particles in the ocean?
« Reply #1 on: 20/04/2015 12:40:27 »
Fabulous idea, right up to the moment when you sail your rust- and rot-proof plastic yacht into a cloud of hungry plankton!   
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Re: Can plankton be genetically modified to clean up the sea of tiny plastic particles in the ocean?
« Reply #2 on: 20/04/2015 16:56:57 »
So what you could do is have protective coatings for hulls made from plastic...
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Re: Can plankton be genetically modified to clean up the sea of tiny plastic particles in the ocean?
« Reply #3 on: 21/04/2015 09:30:48 »
Hmm. The protective stuff we put on wooden boats is already upsetting the green lobby. Anything that would kill an epoxy-eating bug will certainly ruin a turtle's digestion.

And what will the effect be on a whale who swallows a ton of plastiphages for breakfast?   
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