The Global Distribution, Life History, and Taxonomic Description of the Common Oceanic Plastic Bag: Plasticus sacculi sp. nov.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The Anthropocene is characterized in geological terms by the stratigraphic inscription of human impact. Donna Haraway refigures the Anthropocene as a boundary event, the surpassing of which requires the formation of trans-genealogical kinships between biotic and abiotic actors. In the interest of such kinships, we turn our attention to plastic, a biogenic material derived from ancient zooplankton and algae, and, as we show, one with its own vibrant life history and phylogeny. Taking an approach informed by Haraway’s “kin-making” and Nicolas Nova’s The Bestiary of the Anthropocene, this article is a taxonomic description of Plasticus gen. nov. sacculi sp. nov., a new deep-sea “species.” Based on a real observation of a plastic bag in the deep sea, we describe the distribution, life history, and phylogeny of Plasticus sacculi.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)305-315
Number of pages11
JournalConfigurations
Volume32
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2024

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