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Transport and trapping of microplastics in coral reefs: a physical experimental investigation
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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.
Biodiverse coastal ecosystems are vulnerable to microplastic (<5 mm) pollution due to inputs from riverine and shoreline sources which pose ecological threats and have repercussions for social ecosystem services. These ecosystems may contain an aquatic canopy covering the bed, such as seagrass meadows or coral reefs that can trap particles. Despite field measurements revealing the accumulation of plastic debris in a variety of aquatic canopies, the transport and dispositional processes that drive microplastic trapping within such canopies is barely understood. Here, we investigate for the first time the prevalence of biofilmed microplastic retention by sparse and dense branching coral canopies in a hydraulic flume under unidirectional flow. Corals were replicated through 3D-printing using a scan of a staghorn coral Acropora genus, a branching coral that encompasses one-fifth of extant reef-building corals, globally.Trapping mechanisms by coral canopies were identified, and include: a) interception of particles with the coral acting as a barrier and microplastics and settling to the bed; b) settling of microplastics on the branches or within the structure of the coral and c) accumulation in the downstream region of individual corals. Trapping efficiency was found to depend on bulk velocity and canopy density, with up to 99% of microplastics retained across the duration of the experiments. Surprisingly, sparse reefs may be as vulnerable to microplastic trapping and contamination as denser canopies under certain flow velocities, with the latter found to retain only up to 18% more microplastics than in sparser conditions. Flow velocity profiles provide insights into the relationships between canopy hydrodynamics and microplastic trapping and distribution. The results indicate coral reefs may form areas of accumulation for microplastic pollution through their observed high trapping efficiency that may otherwise have been transported greater distances.
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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.
Exploring Microplastic Interactions with Reef-Building Corals Across Flow Conditions
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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.
Transport and trapping in complex aquatic canopies: how do coral reefs act as sinks for microplastics?
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Researchers investigated how coral reef canopy structures act as sinks for microplastic particles by modifying turbulence, flow, and depositional processes in coastal zones, examining physical trapping mechanisms alongside biological incorporation within coral tissue and skeletons. The study addressed the 'missing plastic' problem by exploring whether the complex three-dimensional structure of shallow reefs intercepts microplastics transported from terrestrial sources before they reach open ocean.
The effect of coral colony morphology, coral surface condition, particle size, and seeding point on the trapping and deposition of microplastics
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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.
Predicting microplastic dynamics in coral reefs: presence, distribution, and bioavailability through field data and numerical simulation analysis
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Researchers combined field sampling at Australia's Lizard Island with numerical hydrodynamic modeling to map microplastic distribution across reef habitats and assess bioavailability to corals, fish, sponges, and other species. Sediment was the dominant accumulation zone, biota contained microplastics at concentrations reflecting feeding strategies, and model simulations predicted particle trajectories within the reef system.
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