New research has found that Fiddler crabs are playing an unheralded role when it comes to hoovering up microplastics found in the world's mangrove forests and salt marshes.

Scientists studying a thriving population of Fiddler crabs in a polluted mangrove forest in Colombia have found that they can ingest and break down large quantities of small plastic particles in the sediment.

The ability to mobilize large amounts of sediment for feeding and sheltering, and the creature's specialized digestive processes, which earn it the reputation of being an "ecosystem engineer," can break down plastics within days, much faster than sunlight and waves.

However, scientists say that this litter recycling service may come at a cost, with the potential release of harmful nanoplastics into their tissues and, consequently, the food chain.