Student Discovers Fungus That Cleans Ocean

Vera Wang, a senior at Kaiser High School in East Honolulu, discovered a fungus in coconut fibers that can break down plastic and sunscreen from seawater. She previously built an ocean filter made from coconut waste, inspired by traditional Polynesian weaving, which removed sunscreen and microplastics from surface water. At the Amend Lab at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa,...