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Adhesion to coral surface as a potential sink for marine microplastics
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This study found that coral surfaces can adsorb microplastic particles and act as a potential sink for marine plastics, with adhesion influenced by plastic polymer type and the biofilm coating on coral surfaces. Coral reefs may therefore not only be harmed by microplastic ingestion but also accumulate plastics from the surrounding water column.
Only 1% of plastic entering the ocean is found floating on its surface, with high loads in ocean accumulation zones and semi-enclosed seas, except for the Red Sea, which supports one of the lowest floating plastic loads worldwide. Given the extension of reefs in the Red Sea, we hypothesize a major role of scleractinian corals as sinks, through suspension-feeding, and assessed microplastic removal rates by three Red Sea coral species. Experimental evidence showed removal rates ranging from 0.25 × 10 to 14.8 × 10 microplastic particles polyp hour, among species. However, this was only 2.2 ± 0.6% of the total removal rate, with passive removal through adhesion to the coral surface being 40 times higher than active removal through suspension-feeding. These results point at adhesion of plastic to coral reef structures as a major sink for microplastics suspended in the water column after sinking, helping explain low concentrations in Red Sea surface waters.
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Do coral reefs act as sinks for microplastics?
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This review examined whether coral reefs act as sinks for microplastics, finding five mechanisms that promote microplastic accumulation including adhesion to corals, ingestion by reef organisms, trapping by reef structures, and burial in reef sediments. Despite covering less than 1% of ocean area, coral reefs disproportionately concentrate microplastics.
Reef‐building corals act as long‐term sink for microplastic
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Coral reef structures were shown to act as long-term sinks for microplastics, with microplastics accumulating in reef framework interstices and sediments at higher concentrations than surrounding seawater, potentially contributing to the resolution of the missing plastic problem in ocean budgets.
Unlocking Passive Collection of Microplastics in Coral Reefs by Adhesion Measurements
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Researchers measured the adhesion forces of live elegance corals and found they trap microplastics primarily through strong surface mucus adhesion rather than ingestion, with a universal removal force barrier that works regardless of plastic type.
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.
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.
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.