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No short-term effect of sinking microplastics on heterotrophy or sediment clearing in the tropical coral Stylophora pistillata
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The tropical coral Stylophora pistillata was exposed to sinking microplastics at concentrations closer to environmentally realistic levels than most prior studies, finding no significant short-term effects on sediment shedding behavior or heterotrophic feeding rates. The study suggests that corals may not be acutely impaired by microplastic concentrations typical of tropical reef environments, though longer-term effects remain unstudied.
Investigations of encounters between corals and microplastics have, to date, used particle concentrations that are several orders of magnitude above environmentally relevant levels. Here we investigate whether concentrations closer to values reported in tropical coral reefs affect sediment shedding and heterotrophy in reef-building corals. We show that single-pulse microplastic deposition elicits significantly more coral polyp retraction than comparable amounts of calcareous sediments. When deposited separately from sediments, microplastics remain longer on corals than sediments, through stronger adhesion and longer periods of examination by the coral polyps. Contamination of sediments with microplastics does not retard corals' sediment clearing rates. Rather, sediments speed-up microplastic shedding, possibly affecting its electrostatic behaviour. Heterotrophy rates are three times higher than microplastic ingestion rates when corals encounter microzooplankton (Artemia salina cysts) and microplastics separately. Exposed to cysts-microplastic combinations, corals feed preferentially on cysts regardless of microplastic concentration. Chronic-exposure experiments should test whether our conclusions hold true under environmental conditions typical of inshore marginal coral reefs.
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Researchers exposed tropical coral fragments to PET microplastics and natural sediment particles over 28 days and found no meaningful difference in coral growth, symbiotic algae density, or chlorophyll levels between the two. While microplastic particles were physically incorporated into coral skeletons, the coral species studied appeared resilient at the tested concentrations, suggesting microplastics may not pose a greater threat to this species than ordinary sedimentation stress.
Physiological stress response of the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata exposed to polyethylene microplastics
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Researchers exposed the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata to polyethylene microplastics at varying concentrations, finding that high concentrations reduced photosynthetic efficiency in coral symbionts and disrupted polar metabolites, indicating physiological stress from microplastic exposure.
Microplastics impair growth in two atlantic scleractinian coral species, Pseudodiploria clivosa and Acropora cervicornis
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Researchers tested the effects of microplastic exposure on two Atlantic coral species and found that both ingested microplastic particles, with retention times varying by particle size. During a 12-week chronic exposure, both coral species showed significantly impaired growth compared to controls. The study provides evidence that microplastics represent an additional stressor for already-threatened reef-building corals.
Scleractinian corals incorporate microplastic particles: identification from a laboratory study
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Laboratory experiments demonstrated that scleractinian corals actively incorporate microplastic particles during feeding, with ingestion rates varying by particle size and polymer type, raising concerns about chronic microplastic exposure in coral reef ecosystems.
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.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.