Interesting article on impact of tires in the ocean

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www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/discarded-tires-in-the-oceans-are-trapping-hermit-crabs-with-no-way-out/ar-AAQ5TH3?ocid=msedgntp

Hermit crabs are finding their way into discarded tires in the ocean -- and they can't get out, a new study from Hirosaki University found.
The concave interior of a car tire can trap hermit crabs that go there in search of food and shelter. The study refers to this phenomenon -- when marine animals get caught in human litter, such as fishing nets -- as "ghost fishing."

Through experiments in an aquarium and the ocean, the researchers studied whether hermit crabs would be able to escape the tires. Over the course of a year, scientists collected and released the crabs monthly, observing nearly 1,300 hermit crabs that were trapped in the tires. (Don't worry -- the hermit crabs were only used once and released near where they were collected.)



None of the hermit crabs that found their way into the tires could escape.



"The significance of this study is that it shows that not only the chemical and physical properties of the tire, but also the shape of the tire can have a negative impact on marine life," Sogabe said.

Lavers said not all hope is lost. Ocean conservation efforts -- including picking up discarded tires or plastic bottles -- might feel daunting on an individual level, but those actions can still benefit the ecosystem by removing intact items and reducing risks of entrapment. Removing these items can also prevent larger objects from breaking down into smaller pieces that animals can ingest.