Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 2 hrs ago
Bottle cap from waters near Philippines carried 307 creatures to Japan
A bottle cap collected off Japan's Kochi Prefecture carried 307 marine creatures inside it.
Researchers found a 9-centimeter ragworm and 306 other creatures, including barnacles, flatworms and bryozoans.
A label suggested the cap had been discarded in or near the Philippines, and the team concluded it likely drifted north on the Kuroshio Current for at least 70 days.
Shell chemistry and ocean-current simulations indicated that it passed through warmer waters around the Philippine archipelago.
The findings show that small pieces of marine litter can carry species across oceans, including species not seen in Japan.
Tracking where litter travels could help researchers understand how invasive species reach new environments and how to prevent their spread.
The researchers urged people to dispose of litter properly to help protect marine ecosystems.
A bottle cap found off Japan carried 307 marine creatures from waters near the Philippines, a study by Japanese researchers found.
The cap was collected off Kochi Prefecture in January 2023 and likely drifted on the Kuroshio Current for at least 70 days.
Researchers said the finding shows that small pieces of marine litter can transport species over long distances.
Some of the species found in the cap are not seen in Japan.
The team said tracing litter routes could help identify how invasive species reach new environments.
- Who
- Researchers from Nagoya University, Kyoto University and other institutions studied the cap.
- What
- A bottle cap carried 307 marine creatures from waters near the Philippines to Japan.
- When
- The cap was collected in January 2023. The study was reported on October 25, 2026.
- Where
- The cap was found off Kochi Prefecture, on Japan’s western coast.
- Why
- The cap likely drifted north on the Kuroshio Current; researchers said tracing such routes could help identify how invasive species enter new environments.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The bottle cap was collected in waters off Kochi Prefecture.
The cap likely traveled on the north-flowing Kuroshio Current.
Kyodo reported the researchers’ findings.
- Creatures carried
- 307
- Cap diameter
- 3.5 centimeters
- Ragworm length
- 9 centimeters
- Collection location
- Waters off Kochi Prefecture, Japan
- Likely drift duration
- At least 70 days
- Likely source region
- Waters near the Philippines
What people are saying
Even small pieces of garbage like bottle caps should not be taken lightly
Properly disposing them in trash bins helps protect ecosystems