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Microplastics pollute nearly two-thirds of corals in Malaysia’s marine protected area, study finds
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A study of corals in Pulau Redang Marine Park, a protected area off Malaysia in the South China Sea, found microplastics, tiny plastic pieces 5 millimeters or smaller, embedded in coral skeletons. The research reported that nearly two-thirds of the corals examined contained these particles.
KUALA LUMPUR — Microplastics, tiny plastic particles about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) or smaller, have settled into the skeletons of corals in a marine protected area in Malaysia, according to a recent study. The study, published in the journal Regional Studies in Marine Science, focused on Pulau Redang Marine Park, in the southern South China […]
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Effective acid treatment and investigation of microplastics in two common hard corals from Pulau Redang Marine Park, Malaysia
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Scientists found tiny plastic particles in nearly two-thirds of coral samples from a protected marine park in Malaysia, with unhealthy corals containing three times more plastic pollution. This matters because corals are critical ocean ecosystems, and when they're contaminated with microplastics, it can harm marine life that eventually ends up in our food chain. The plastic pollution was worst near developed areas, showing how human activities directly impact ocean health and potentially our own food safety.
Microplastic pollution in tropical coral reef ecosystems from the coastal South China Sea and their impacts on corals in situ
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Researchers studied microplastic contamination in coral reef ecosystems off southern China, finding plastic particles in seawater, sediment, corals, shellfish, and fish. Different coral species absorbed microplastics at different rates, with smaller particles penetrating deeper into coral tissue. Since coral reefs support fisheries and coastal communities, this contamination could affect both marine ecosystems and the seafood that people eat.
Plastics are a new threat to Palau’s coral reefs
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Researchers detected microplastics in seawater, sediments, and beach sand around the pristine coral reef system of Palau, confirming that even remote, well-protected marine environments are not free from plastic pollution and highlighting the global reach of this contamination.
Abundance of microplastics and its ecological risk assessment in coral reef regions of Peninsular Malaysia
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Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in surface waters around coral reef regions of Peninsular Malaysia. They detected microplastics at all sampling sites, with the Perhentian Islands showing significantly higher levels than Tioman Island, likely due to oceanographic differences. Small fragments and fibers of polyethylene and polypropylene were the most common types found, providing baseline data on microplastic pollution in these sensitive reef ecosystems.
Assessment of microplastic pollution in corals, seawater, and marine sediments in the Gulf of Thailand
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Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence, abundance, and characteristics in coral, seawater, and sediment samples from two reef sites in the Gulf of Thailand, detecting microplastics in all coral samples at concentrations ranging from 0.24 to 2.60 particles per gram and finding spatial variability across reef species and sites.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.