Microplastics are released into the environment by wastewater treatment plants. They can accumulate and pose a threat for wildlife. Scientists in the US developed a filter system to capture the microplastics by studying how manta rays eat plankton.
Voice: Patrick Aryee
Digital producers: Christopher Brooks & Jennifer Green
Animator: Jules Bartl
Thanks to Prof Misty Paig Tran, California State University Fullerton
Listen to BBC World Service's '30 Animals that Made Us Smarter' for more information on this story as well as other stories about animals that inspired inventions.
