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Impacts of microplastics on scleractinian corals nearshore Liuqiu Island southwestern Taiwan

Environmental Pollution 2022 36 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 40 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Yee Cheng Lim, Yee Cheng Lim, Yee Cheng Lim, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Yee Cheng Lim, Yee Cheng Lim, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Yee Cheng Lim, Yurong Cheng, Yee Cheng Lim, Yurong Cheng, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Yee Cheng Lim, Yee Cheng Lim, Yee Cheng Lim, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Yee Cheng Lim, Yee Cheng Lim, Yee Cheng Lim, Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong Chiu‐Wen Chen, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong, Yee Cheng Lim, Yee Cheng Lim, Cheng–Di Dong Cheng–Di Dong Cheng–Di Dong Cheng–Di Dong Chiu‐Wen Chen, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong Cheng–Di Dong Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong, Yurong Cheng, Yurong Cheng, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Yurong Cheng, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Chiu‐Wen Chen, Cheng–Di Dong Cheng–Di Dong Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong, Yurong Cheng, Cheng–Di Dong Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong Chiu‐Wen Chen, Cheng–Di Dong Chiu‐Wen Chen, Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong Cheng–Di Dong, Cheng–Di Dong Cheng–Di Dong

Summary

Researchers found microplastics in three genera of wild corals near Liuqiu Island, Taiwan, with abundances up to 0.95 items per gram dominated by blue rayon fibers, and observed that low coral cover (12.5%) at the most tourism-impacted site corresponded with the highest microplastic concentrations in water, sediment, and coral tissue. Enrichment factors of 25-283 times above surrounding seawater indicate corals are significant accumulators of microplastics in reef environments.

Polymers

PET

Study Type Environmental

Seawater, sediments, and three genera of wild scleractinian corals were collected from four coral reef areas nearshore Liuqiu Island, southwestern Taiwan. Abundance, characteristics (sizes, colors, shapes, and polymer types), and enrichment of microplastics (MPs) in the corals, and their impacts on coral cover were determined. The average MPs abundances were 0.95, 0.77, and 0.36 item/g for Galaxea sp, Acropora spp, and Pocillopora sp, respectively. The MPs abundance was relatively higher on the coral surfaces than inside the skeletons, dominated by blue rayon-fibers, correspondingly observed in seawater and sediments. Large-size colorless MPs tended to be mis-ingested by Galaxea sp. (71%) compared with Pocillopora sp. (43%) and Acropora spp. (31%). The low hard coral cover (12.5%) observed at Yufu (L1) on the northeastern coastal zone nearby tourism center of Liuqiu Island where correspondingly associated with high MPs abundance in seawater (10 item/L), sediments (260 item/kg), and corals (0.60 item/g). Tourism induced sewage discharges and sailing activities significantly contributed to the MPs pollution, probably contributing to the loss of coral cover. High MPs enrichment in corals (EF = 25-283) shows that the marine MPs pollution can critically threaten coral reef ecosystems. Fibrous MPs present inside the coral skeleton serve as potential indicator of MPs' impact on corals-with the dominance of textile-related rayon and polyester/PET microfibers in the coral reef zones. This study provided valuable information for coral conservation and coastal management.

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