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Coral annual growth band impregnated microplastics (Porites sp.): a first investigation report
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Researchers examined coral growth bands from Porites sp. specimens and identified microplastics — primarily nylon, polyester, polypropylene, and polyethylene — embedded within annual growth layers dating back to 1964, suggesting long-term historical accumulation driven by ocean currents and tourist activity.
Microplastic pollution in marine environments has increased rapidly during the last decades. These microplastic particles are transported into the coral reef environment from terrestrial origin. Recent investigations suggest that microplastic ingestion can adversely affect marine invertebrates, especially in the coral reef ecosystem. The present attempt has been carried out to identify the coral growth band impregnated microplastics from polished coral slabs and acid leached insoluble residues through microscopic examination. The impregnated microplastics have been present in the following descending order: Nylon > Polyester > Polypropylene > Polyethylene. The irregular-shaped black and red microplastic particles have been dominantly observed. The annual growth band impregnated microplastics are most probably derived from tourist activities and chiefly controlled by oceanic currents and sediment re-suspension. The maximum distribution of microplastics has been observed in the coral annual growth bands of 1964 and 2005. Clinical Trials Registration The present work is not a clinically related project. Hence clinical registration is not obtained/not required for publishing the results.
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Coral Feeding Behavior on Microplastics
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Researchers reviewed how corals interact with microplastics, finding that these marine invertebrates can ingest plastic particles, which may disrupt their natural feeding behavior and accumulate in reef ecosystems. Because corals form the foundation of marine food webs, microplastic ingestion at this level could have cascading effects throughout ocean food chains.
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