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Microplastic trapping efficiency and hydrodynamics in model coral reefs: A physical experimental investigation
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Researchers experimentally investigated how branching coral structures trap microplastics under different water flow speeds and canopy densities using 3D-printed model coral reefs. They found that coral canopies retained 79-98% of microplastics at higher flow velocities, compared to only 10-13% for bare surfaces, through mechanisms including particle interception and settlement on branches. The study suggests that coral reefs may act as significant accumulators of microplastic pollution, with implications for reef ecosystem health.
Coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs, are vulnerable to microplastic pollution input from proximal riverine and shoreline sources. However, deposition, retention, and transport processes are largely unevaluated, especially in relation to hydrodynamics. For the first time, we experimentally investigate the retention of biofilmed microplastic by branching 3D printed corals (staghorn coral Acropora genus) under various unidirectional flows (U = {0.15, 0.20, 0.25, 0.30} ms) and canopy densities (15 and 48 corals m). These variables are found to drive trapping efficiency, with 79-98% of microplastics retained in coral canopies across the experimental duration at high flow velocities (U = 0.25-0.30 ms), compared to 10-13% for the bare bed, with denser canopies retaining only 15% more microplastics than the sparse canopy at highest flow conditions (U = 0.30 ms). Three fundamental trapping mechanisms were identified: (a) particle interception, (b) settlement on branches or within coral, and (c) accumulation in the downstream wake region of the coral. Corresponding hydrodynamics reveal that microplastic retention and spatial distribution is modulated by the energy-dissipative effects of corals due to flow-structure interactions reducing in-canopy velocities and generating localised turbulence. The wider ecological implications for coral systems are discussed in light of the findings, particularly in terms of concentrations and locations of plastic accumulation.
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Scientists used a saltwater flume to study how different coral colony shapes trap microplastics, finding that compact branching corals caught significantly more particles than open-shaped colonies. Larger microplastics were trapped more easily than smaller ones, and the coral's living or dead status did not affect trapping rates. This research shows that coral reefs act as sinks for microplastic pollution, and certain reef types may be especially vulnerable, which matters for the coastal communities that depend on healthy reefs for food and livelihoods.
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Researchers conducted physical experiments in a laboratory channel to study how microplastics are transported and trapped in simulated coral reef structures. Rough reef surfaces increased particle capture compared to flat beds. These findings help explain why coral reefs accumulate microplastics and inform predictions of plastic pollution impacts on biodiverse reef ecosystems.
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Researchers examined how reef-building corals interact with microplastics under varying flow conditions, investigating whether active ingestion or passive adhesion dominates microplastic removal and which particle types and sizes are most readily captured by coral structures.
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Researchers sampled Pocillopora corals from a reef in Hawaii to investigate how colony structural complexity affects microplastic accumulation. They found that compact, thick-branched coral morphologies trapped more microplastics than open-branched forms, likely because their structure creates stagnant water zones where particles settle. Most microplastics were found on the coral surface rather than embedded in tissue or skeleton.
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