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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.
Microplastics are recognised as a potential global threat to marine ecosystems, but the biological mechanisms determining their impact on marine life are still largely unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of microplastics on the red coral, a long-lived habitat-forming organism belonging to the Corallium genus, which is present at almost all latitudes from shallow-water to deep-sea habitats. When exposed to microplastics, corals preferentially ingest polypropylene, with multiple biological effects, from feeding impairment to mucus production and altered gene expression. Microplastics can alter the coral microbiome directly and indirectly by causing tissue abrasions that allow the proliferation of opportunistic bacteria. These multiple effects suggest that microplastics at the concentrations present in some marine areas and predicted for most oceans in the coming decades, can ultimately cause coral death. Other habitat-forming suspension-feeding species are likely subjected to similar impacts, which may act synergistically with climate-driven events primarily responsible for mass mortalities.
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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.
Physiological responses of Mediterranean octocorals to prolonged exposure to ecologically relevant microplastic concentrations
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Researchers exposed two Mediterranean gorgonian coral species to a mixture of PET, polystyrene, and polypropylene microplastics for three months and assessed their physiological responses. They found that the corals ingested microplastics and showed measurable changes in respiration and feeding performance, though responses varied between species. The study provides evidence that even ecologically relevant concentrations of microplastics can affect the health of habitat-forming octocorals over extended exposure periods.
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Researchers exposed four genera of reef-building corals to realistic concentrations of microplastics over six months to assess long-term impacts. They found that effects on coral growth and health were species-specific, with some corals showing reduced calcification while others appeared unaffected. The study highlights that microplastic pollution may threaten certain coral species more than others, complicating predictions about reef resilience.
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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.
Physiological and biochemical effects of microplastics on corals: Environmental and ecological impacts and mitigation strategies and policy options
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Researchers review how microplastic ingestion disrupts coral physiology through oxidative stress, impaired larval settlement, reduced feeding efficiency, and vectoring of co-contaminants including heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, with microplastic-induced bleaching linked to destabilization of the anthozoan-algae symbiosis.
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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.