Coconut Fungi Fighting Pollutants
A Hawaii high school student has discovered that fungi naturally growing on coconut husks may offer a new way to break down plastic and sunscreen pollution. Kaiser High School senior Vera Wang began the research after previously designing a coconut-based ocean filter that could remove sunscreen and microplastics from water. Wanting to find a way to safely dispose of the pollutants after they were captured, she worked with researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to study the fungi living within coconut fibers. They found that some of the fungi could biodegrade both plastic and sunscreen, and genetic testing suggests some may even be previously unknown species. Wang’s research earned several awards at the 2026 Hawaiʻi State Science & Engineering Fair and could contribute to new, nature-based ways of cleaning up pollution in oceans and waterways.
Image via University of Hawaiʻi
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