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Microplastics in the oceans: the many ways they can harm coral life
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This study investigated the effects of microplastics on red coral (Corallium genus) in the Mediterranean, examining the mechanisms by which plastic particles harm this threatened species. The research explored physical and chemical pathways through which microplastics affect coral health and survival.
Microplastics are one of the main threats to marine ecosystems, but the mechanisms determining their impact on marine life are still largely unknown. We investigated the impact of microplastics on the red coral, an emblematic and threatened species belonging to the Corallium genus, which is distributed at almost all latitudes and depths. We report here that microplastics are ingested and accumulated by corals (primarily polypropylene and polystyrene), either directly (as microplastics are confounded with the coral’s prey, plankton) or through the ingestion of zooplankton containing microplastic particles. Once ingested, microplastics cause multiple biological effects, spanning from feeding impairment and mucus release. Microplastics also cause DNA damage and a shift in the coral microbiome that together with their tissue abrasions, favour the proliferation of opportunistic/pathogenic bacteria. Since microplastic contamination is expected to double in all oceans from 2030-2060, we anticipate that their impact will likely increase in the future, with the potential of causing coral death. The effects reported on the red coral could be similar on many other habitat-forming species (species that transform the environment creating a new habitat) and may act in synergy with other stressors, potentially exacerbating the impacts of heat waves and other climate-driven events.
More Papers Like This
Multiple impacts of microplastics can threaten marine habitat-forming species
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Researchers exposed red coral (Corallium rubrum), a long-lived Mediterranean habitat-forming species, to microplastics and found multiple impacts including reduced polyp feeding rates, elevated oxidative stress, and shifts in skeletal growth, suggesting that even sublethal MP exposure could impair the long-term persistence of coral habitats.
Responses of reef building corals to microplastic exposure
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Researchers exposed six species of small-polyp stony corals to polyethylene microplastics to characterize their responses and potential health effects. They found that corals interacted with the particles through ingestion and adhesion, with responses varying by species and coral morphology. The study suggests that microplastic exposure could affect reef-building corals, which are already under stress from climate change and ocean acidification.
Microplastics: impacts on corals and other reef organisms
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This study reviewed the growing body of evidence on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect corals and other reef organisms. Researchers found that these plastic particles can impair coral feeding, growth, and reproduction, and may worsen the effects of other stressors like ocean warming. The review highlights that plastic pollution represents an additional serious threat to already vulnerable reef ecosystems worldwide.
Microplastic as an invisible threat to the coral reefs: Sources, toxicity mechanisms, policy intervention, and the way forward
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This review examines how microplastics threaten coral reefs by causing physical damage, chemical toxicity, and disruption to coral biology. Microplastics can block coral feeding, carry harmful chemicals, and promote disease-causing bacteria on coral surfaces. While focused on coral ecosystems, the findings matter for human health because healthy reefs support fisheries and coastal communities that millions of people depend on.
Microplastics in corals: An emergent threat
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A summary of recent research found that microplastics impair coral health through species-specific mechanisms including reduced growth, altered enzymatic activity, increased mucus production, disrupted coral-algae symbiosis, and bleaching — with effects observed even at concentrations below current environmental maxima.
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.