In a first, a study by researchers at the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, has reported that microplastics have been found in the sediments of the Vembanad Lake, a wetland ecosystem recognised internationally by the Ramsar Convention.
The study from IISc found a previously unidentified yeast-like symbiont inside the lac insect Kerria lacca, which gives the insect its distinctive red colour and, may also provide other nutrients in return for shelter.