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Unrecognized pollutant risks to the Great Barrier Reef
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This report summarizes the occurrence, distribution, risks, and toxicity of ten pollutants threatening the Great Barrier Reef, including marine debris, microplastics, sewage contaminants, trace metals, anti-fouling chemicals, coal dust, petroleum compounds, flame retardants, PCBs, and pesticides. It provides a broad overview of the multiple pollution stressors facing one of the world's most iconic marine ecosystems.
This report summarises the occurrence, distribution, risks and toxicity of ten pollutants to the marine environment: marine debris, microplastics, sewage-sourced contaminants, trace metals, anti-foulants, coal dust, petroleum hydrocarbon contaminants, flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and non-photosystem II (PSII) pesticides.
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Sources, presence and potential effects of contaminants of emerging concern in the marine environments of the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, Australia
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This review assessed contaminants of emerging concern including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides in the marine environments of Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, identifying gaps in current monitoring and management. The study highlights that even these iconic, relatively remote reef systems face growing chemical pollution threats.
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.
Pollution in the Marine Environment: Plastics, Microplastics and Organic Pollutants
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This study characterizes marine debris collected from coastal waters, analyzing the types and origins of plastic and organic pollutants found in the marine environment. It combines debris characterization with organic pollutant analysis to understand the compound contamination burden faced by marine ecosystems.
Vulnerability of Coral Reefs to Contaminants of Emerging Concern
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This chapter reviews how micro-nanoplastics, persistent organic pollutants, and pharmaceuticals threaten coral reef ecosystems, with microplastics acting as both physical stressors and chemical vectors in already climate-stressed reef environments. Coral reef degradation has cascading consequences for the hundreds of millions of people who depend on reefs for food security and coastal protection, making contaminant vulnerability a human welfare issue as much as an ecological one.
A systematic review of microplastics in coral reef ecosystems: Abundance, distribution, toxicity, and future research directions
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This systematic review examined 125 studies on microplastic pollution in coral reef ecosystems. Corals are ingesting microplastics, which can cause tissue damage, stress responses, and impaired growth. Since coral reefs support roughly 25% of all marine species and many fisheries that feed coastal communities, their contamination with microplastics has far-reaching consequences for ocean health and food security.
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.