Explained | Why have plastic rocks been found on the remote Brazilian island of Trindade? Premium

Trindade, a remote island formed as a result of volcanic activity, is located more than 1,100 km from mainland Brazil and is one the world’s most important conservation spots for green turtles 

The story so far: A recent discovery of rocks made of plastic debris in the remote Brazilian Island of Tridade, which hosts a range of rare marine species, has sparked alarm among scientists. The fact that plastic had reached the secluded volcanic island known for its unique geology was “terrifying”, Fernanda Avelar Santos, a geologist at the Federal University of Parana told Reuters.

Trindade Island is the easternmost and most remote point in Brazilian territory, located about 1,140 km from the southeastern state of Espírito Santo. Trindade surfaced owing to volcanic activity under the Atlantic Ocean about three million years ago. Trindade, along with the Martim Vaz archipelago about 40 km away, hosts many species of native flora and fauna including seabirds and marine creatures.

Trindade is known for being one of the most important conservation and nesting spots, both in Brazil and globally, for green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas), hosting nearly 1,800 nests annually on a small stretch of land. It is also known for hosting native seabirds like the Trindade Petrel, and the great frigatebird, which is otherwise only found in the Indo-Pacific and not the Atlantic. The surrounding region also hosts species of sharks, dolphins, and corals.

Its formation due to volcanic activity makes its terrain unique, reaching a 600 m elevation at multiple points while having surrounding oceanic depths of 6000 m. The island is considered one of the most recent manifestations of alkaline volcanic activity in Brazil. It is at the eastern end of a chain of guyots, or submarine volcanic mountains with flat tops, extending east to west about 1,100 km from the continental shelf off Brazil’s coast.

The island was first sighted in 1502 by a Portuguese sailor and was first inhabited by humans only in 1730 when Azorean communities colonised the Island. Unsuccessful in their attempt, they left Trindade in the following years, abandoning their domestic animals like goats and pigs, which scientists blame for damaging much of the island’s original vegetation.

Currently, Trindade is a protected area not inhabited by any humans except for a small Brazilian Navy Crew which oversees the waters. It is also free of tourist activity.

Parana University geologist Ms. Santos and her colleagues, who discovered the rocks made of plastic debris, say that melted plastic became intertwined with rocks on the island. Plastic reaching Trindade despite it being hundreds of miles away from the mainland was evidence of humans’ growing influence over the earth’s geological cycles, the geologists said.