Hermit Crabs Are Getting ‘Sexually Excited’ By Toxins Leaking From Plastic Pollution

Scientists have discovered that hermit crabs are becoming “sexually excited” by toxins released from plastic waste in the world’s oceans. Researchers at the University of Hull in the UK uncovered the bizarre phenomenon by studying the waters off the North Yorkshire coast, identifying a chemical called oleamide as the culprit.

  1. The chemical is increasing hermit crab respiration rate. Researchers say that the hermit crab population in Robin Hood’s Bay are experiencing an increased respiration rate caused by the oleamide leaking from the waste, Sky News reports. PhD candidate Paula Schirrmacher, one of the authors of the study, said: “Respiration rate increases significantly in response to low concentrations of oleamide, and hermit crabs show a behavioural attraction comparable to their response to a feeding stimulant.”
  2. This is just one way climate change and environmental pollution are changing our world. Plastic pollution is having an incredible affect on our wildlife, including our marine species, and the hermit crab finding is just one example of this. If this isn’t a sign that something needs to change, what is?
  3. Oleamide is affecting the crabs in other ways too. In addition to making them more sexually excited, oleamide is also being mistaken for food by hermit crabs, encouraging them to travel to seek it out. Of course, when they reach the source, they suddenly realize there’s nothing edible there. “Oleamide also has a striking resemblance to oleic acid, a chemical released by arthropods during decomposition. As scavengers, hermit crabs may misidentify oleamide as a food source, creating a trap,” Schirrmacher continued.
  4. What we’re doing to our planet matters. Destroying the planet doesn’t just have an affect on human beings, it affects our land and water as well as the creatures that inhabit it. We need to take drastic action to avoid any further destruction.
Piper Ryan is a NYC-based writer and matchmaker who works to bring millennials who are sick of dating apps and the bar scene together in an organic and efficient way. To date, she's paired up more than 120 couples, many of whom have gone on to get married. Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, Time Out New York, The Cut, and many more.

In addition to runnnig her own business, Piper is passionate about charity work, advocating for vulnerable women and children in her local area and across the country. She is currently working on her first book, a non-fiction collection of stories focusing on female empowerment.
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