Sea balls

Sea balls (Aegagropila, or Pillae marinae) are balls of fibrous marine material recorded from the seashore. They vary in size but are all tightly packed balls mostly of up to 7 cm in size, but in Edgartown, Massachusetts a longish sea ball of about 45cm in diameter has been found. They may occur in hundreds and are composed of plant material, in majority seagrass rhizome netting torn out by water movement. Nowadays they contain more and more plastics and even microplastics. [1] Recent records are from Dingle Bay in Ireland.[2]

  • Galery
  • a Small Sea Ball
  • Sea Ball Pulled Apart
  • Sea Balls Occasionally en Masse Drift Ashore
  • Sea Balls in a Historic Pharmacists Collection
Sea Balls Drifted Ashore

References
  1. Anna Sanchez‐Vidal, Miquel Canals, William P. de Haan, Javier Romero, Marta Veny: Seagrasses provide a novel ecosystem service by trapping marine plastics, Scientific Reports, 2021, 11, S. 254, nature research, published online 14.1.2021. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-79370-3
  2. Minchin, D. 2018 "Sea balls" on Inch Strand, Co. Kerry Irish Naturalists' Journal. 36(1) p 25-27
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