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Microplastics disturb the anthozoan-algae symbiotic relationship
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Microplastics were found to suppress the establishment of symbiotic relationships between anthozoan hosts (sea anemone and coral) and algae (Symbiodiniaceae), with both direct microsphere exposure and indirect exposure through microsphere-fed prey reducing symbiont infectivity. The study provides first evidence that microplastics can disrupt the initiation of coral-algae symbiosis, a fundamental process underpinning coral reef ecosystem function.
World production of plastic has dramatically increased from the 1950's and now it reaches approximately 311 million tons per year. The resulting accumulation of small plastic detritus less than 5 mm in size, termed "microplastics", has started threatening the life cycles of marine organisms. Here we show the first evidence that microplastics disturb the initiation of symbiotic relationships in anthozoan-algae symbiosis. We found in both the aposymbiotic sea-anemone Aiptasia sp. and the coral Favites chinensis that the infectivity of symbiotic algae into the host is severely suppressed by microspheres fed either directly or indirectly through microsphere-fed Artemia sp. Similar trends were seen when microplastics collected from commercial facewash were used instead of microspheres. Therefore, ongoing accumulation of microplastics in the ocean might disturb the healthy anthozoan-algae symbiotic relationships, which are cornerstones of the biologically enriched coral reef ecosystem.
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Microplastic microspheres were incorporated into coral polyp cells in the same zones used by symbiotic algae, potentially displacing the algae and disrupting the coral-algae relationship that keeps corals healthy. This mechanism may explain why microplastics interfere with symbiosis, particularly in corals already stressed by bleaching.
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Researchers studied how microplastics and nanoplastics damage Symbiodinium, the algae that live inside coral and keep reefs alive. Even at concentrations found in the real environment, the plastic particles disrupted photosynthesis, caused oxidative stress, and triggered metabolic problems in the algae. Since the breakdown of this coral-algae partnership leads to coral bleaching, microplastic pollution could threaten the reef ecosystems that support fisheries and coastal communities worldwide.
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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Researchers found that microplastic ingestion disrupted the symbiotic relationship between the giant clam Tridacna crocea and its photosynthetic zooxanthellae, reducing photosynthate transfer to the host and impairing clam growth and metabolic function in coral reef ecosystems.
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