Plastic is the most prevalent marine pollutant, and plastic surfaces are the fastest growing habitat in the ocean. Researchers at the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Mānoa have recently discovered that many species of fungi isolated from Hawai'i's nearshore environment have the ability to degrade plastic, and some can be conditioned to do it faster.
I’m not aware of any. In relation to plastic degradation, typically the fungi break down the chemical bonds of the molecules with the help of enzymes.
I remember one research from europe (I can’t find it for some reason) that they were collecting the plastic first and then in a controlled environment they introduced the plastic-eating fungus. It’s not that the scientists just threw the fungi in the ocean.
These findings always make me feel optimistic. Imagine if one day each municipality had a huge bin full of plastic eating fungus that all local plastics could just be thrown into. Or imagine if there was some way to give these fungi agency to move around and gorge on litter lol - makes me think of this http://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/09/04/science/fungus-robot-mushroom-biohybrid