Scores of hermit crabs, mostly dead, were trapped inside. The scientists say plastic debris has caused the deaths of more than half a million hermit crabs on the Cocos Islands and the similarly remote Henderson Island in the South Pacific. ADADAnd now, hermit crabs — lured into slippery plastic bottles they cannot climb out of. When a hermit crab dies, it emits a chemical signal to let others know that a potential shell has become available, Bond explained. “It’s not just removing plastic from the beach because it’s unsightly, but it’s potentially doing a lot for hermit crab populations."

Source: Washington Post December 06, 2019 03:13 UTC