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Fathom Fund (2020)
One third of the world’s plastics end up in the ocean where they biopersist, creating formidable challenges for wildlife and habitats. Co-applicant Moores and her team at McGill University have discovered an innovative way to turn crustacean shell waste into biodegradable plastics which could break down under oceanic conditions. The European green crab is an aggressive invasive species and causes ecosystem collapse via cascading effects, around the world where it is not native.In eastern North America for example, it rips up vast quantities of eelgrass which is nursery habitat for marine species, stabilizes marine sediments, and is a primary food for geese, turning lush underwater landscapes into muddy moonscapes. Each female can produce in excess of 175,000 eggs, providing a seemingly endless supply. Co-applicants McCarthy and Beaulieu from Parks Canada have developed a surgically precise fishing methodology which will extract green crabs from the ecosystem with minimal by-catch mortality. Now imagine a future where one of the most prolific and destructive marine invasive species is controlled, harvested and processed into sustainable bioplastics. McGill University and ParksCanada have formed a partnership to develop this innovative, sustainable solution. We are thus seeking community support to turn this invasive species challenge into a global solution to the plastics dilemma.By using biochemical components of European green crab, not only will this project develop a marine biodegradable plastic, but it will also enhance the recovery of deteriorated coastal ecosystems and provide a new industry to sustain coastal fishing communities.
