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Papers
78 resultsShowing papers from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
ClearEarth at risk: An urgent call to end the age of destruction and forge a just and sustainable future
This broad review argues that humanity faces converging crises including climate change, pollution, ecosystem destruction, and inequality, all driven by extractive economic practices. Plastic and chemical pollution are highlighted as part of a larger pattern of environmental destruction that disproportionately harms vulnerable populations. The authors call for systemic economic transformation, including replacing exploitative capitalism with models that prioritize sustainability and justice.
Vulnerability of benthic trait diversity across the Mediterranean Sea following mass mortality events
Researchers analyzed 35 years of mass mortality events across the Mediterranean Sea affecting nearly 400 bottom-dwelling species, finding that larger, slower-growing animals like corals and sponges are most vulnerable to die-offs driven by warming, disease, and other stressors. Over the last five years alone, roughly 11% of the region's functional biodiversity may have been temporarily lost, signaling rapid ecological transformation.
Temporal trends in microplastic accumulation in placentas from pregnancies in Hawaiʻi
Using Raman spectroscopy, researchers analyzed discarded placentas in Hawaii and found that microplastic accumulation has increased significantly over the past 15 years. The types and sizes of plastic particles also changed over time, reflecting shifts in plastic production and environmental contamination. This study demonstrates that human tissue can serve as a biological record of plastic pollution exposure.
Water quality thresholds for coastal contaminant impacts on corals: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Researchers conducted a systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis of 55 studies on chemical contaminants affecting coral reefs, developing dose-response models for 13 metals and 18 pesticides and recommending more conservative water quality thresholds that account for the combined stress of multiple pollutants.
Increasing microplastic concentrations have nonlinear impacts on the physiology of reef-building corals
Researchers exposed two species of reef-building corals to different concentrations of a realistic microplastic mixture for 12 weeks and found that higher concentrations caused reduced growth, tissue death, and disrupted photosynthesis. The effects followed nonlinear patterns, meaning even moderate increases in microplastic levels could trigger disproportionate damage. Coral reef health matters for human communities because reefs support fisheries and protect coastlines.
Polystyrene microplastics exposition on human placental explants induces time-dependent cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and metabolic alterations
Researchers exposed human placental tissue to polystyrene microplastics in the lab and found that the particles caused increasing cell damage over time, along with oxidative stress and disruptions to key metabolic processes including energy production and folate metabolism. Folate is critical for fetal development, so interference with its metabolism is particularly concerning. This study adds to growing evidence that microplastic contamination could affect pregnancy outcomes and fetal health.
Micro and nanoplastics ravaging our agroecosystem: A review of occurrence, fate, ecological impacts, detection, remediation, and prospects
This review examines how micro and nanoplastics are infiltrating agricultural ecosystems through plastic mulch, irrigation water, sewage sludge, and other sources. Researchers found evidence that these particles harm soil organisms, reduce crop growth, and can carry toxic chemicals up the food chain to humans. The paper highlights the urgent need for better detection methods and remediation strategies to protect food production systems.
Microplastics and Nanoplastics Impair the Biophysical Function of Pulmonary Surfactant by Forming Heteroaggregates at the Alveolar–Capillary Interface
Scientists found that micro and nanoplastics from common products like foam packaging, lunch boxes, and water bottles can impair the function of pulmonary surfactant, the crucial substance that keeps our lungs from collapsing. Polystyrene foam particles caused the most damage, both in lab tests and in mice, where they triggered lung inflammation. The nanoplastic fraction, though a small part of the total mass, appeared to drive most of the harm by forming clumps with the surfactant at the air-liquid surface in the lungs.
First evidence of microplastic accumulation in placentas and umbilical cords from pregnancies in Brazil
In the first study of its kind in Brazil, researchers analyzed placentas and umbilical cords from ten pregnancies in Maceio and found microplastics in every sample. A total of 229 microplastic particles were identified, with polyethylene and polyamide being the most common types. The findings suggest that Brazilian pregnant women experience microplastic exposure consistent with global trends, emphasizing the need to understand how these particles cross the placental barrier.
Polystyrene microplastics internalization by term placental chorionic villi explants
Researchers exposed human placental tissue samples to polystyrene microplastics in the laboratory and found that the particles could cross the placental barrier and distribute within the tissue. Using advanced microscopy techniques, they observed microplastics penetrating the outer layer of placental villi and reaching deeper tissue structures within 72 hours. The findings raise concerns about potential fetal exposure to microplastics during pregnancy.
Heterotrophic feeding modulates the effects of microplastic on corals, but not when combined with heat stress
Researchers tested whether providing extra food to corals could help them cope with microplastic pollution and heat stress. While supplemental feeding did offset some negative effects of microplastics alone, it could not protect corals when microplastics were combined with elevated temperatures. The study suggests that during marine heatwaves, corals face compounding stressors that feeding alone cannot overcome.
Responses of natural plastisphere community and zooplankton to microplastic pollution: a review on novel remediation strategies
This review examines how microbial communities colonize microplastic surfaces in aquatic environments, forming what scientists call the plastisphere, and how these plastic-associated microbes interact with zooplankton. Researchers found that microplastics serve as floating platforms for bacteria, including potentially harmful species, and can transfer these microbes up the food chain through zooplankton ingestion. The study highlights novel bioremediation strategies that harness natural microbial processes to help break down microplastic pollution.
Unseen threats: negative effects of microplastic leachate on coral planulae settlement
Researchers tested how chemical leachate from weathered microplastics affects the ability of coral larvae to settle and grow in Hawaiian reef environments. They found that microplastic leachate significantly reduced coral settlement rates, with the effect worsening as plastic concentration increased. The findings suggest that chemicals released by degrading ocean plastics may threaten coral reef recovery by impairing a critical early life stage.
Chronic effects of exposure to polyethylene microplastics may be mitigated at the expense of growth and photosynthesis in reef-building corals
Researchers exposed four species of reef-building corals to realistic concentrations of polyethylene microplastics for 11 months and measured the effects on their physiology. While the overall impact was low, some species showed reduced growth and changes in photosynthetic efficiency, suggesting the corals may be spending energy to cope with the particles. The study indicates that corals may have some ability to compensate for microplastic exposure, but increasing pollution levels could overwhelm these defenses.
Common types of microdebris affect the physiology of reef-building corals
Researchers tested how several common types of microdebris, including microplastic fibers, fragments, and other small particles, affect reef-building corals. They found that exposure to mixed debris types caused greater stress responses in the corals than single-polymer exposures typically used in lab studies. The findings suggest that real-world microdebris pollution, which involves multiple materials at once, may be more harmful to coral reef health than previous single-material experiments have indicated.
A Research Road Map for Responsible Use of Agricultural Nitrogen
This review examines the challenges of balancing agricultural nitrogen use for food security with the environmental consequences of excess reactive nitrogen. Researchers found that the massive use of industrial nitrogen fertilizer has doubled the nitrogen moving through the global cycle, with dramatic environmental consequences, and they propose a research road map for more responsible agricultural nitrogen management.
Machine learning in marine ecology: an overview of techniques and applications
This overview examines how machine learning techniques are being applied across marine ecology, covering data types from satellite imagery and acoustics to underwater images and genomic data. Researchers built a database of roughly 1,000 publications to map which techniques work best for different marine research questions. The study highlights that growing data volumes and computing power are making machine learning an increasingly essential tool for understanding ocean ecosystems.
Modeling impacts of river hydrodynamics on fate and transport of microplastics in riverine environments
Researchers built a computer model to simulate how microplastics travel and transform in river systems, accounting for particle aggregation and breakage driven by water flow. They found that microplastics clump together significantly in the early stages after entering a river, which changes the size distribution of particles flowing downstream. The study suggests that river conditions play a major role in determining what size and form of microplastics eventually reach the ocean.
Management practice for small hive beetle as a source of microplastic contamination in honey and honeybee colonies
Researchers discovered that microfiber wipes used inside beehives to trap small hive beetles are actually a significant source of microplastic contamination in honey and honeybee colonies. When bees chew on these non-woven wipes, the material breaks apart into tiny fibers that contaminate the hive environment. The study suggests that a common beekeeping management practice is inadvertently introducing microplastics into honey, raising concerns for both bee health and food safety.
Experimental Approaches for Characterizing the Endocrine-Disrupting Effects of Environmental Chemicals in Fish
This review examines experimental approaches used to characterize the endocrine-disrupting effects of environmental chemicals, including microplastics, in fish. Researchers summarize methods spanning molecular, cellular, and whole-organism levels, including gene expression analysis, hormone measurements, and reproductive assays. The study provides a framework for evaluating how pollutants interfere with hormonal regulation in aquatic vertebrates and highlights the value of fish as sentinel species.
Microplastic Leachate Negatively Affects Fertilization in the Coral <i>Montipora capitata</i>
Researchers tested whether chemical compounds leaching from microplastics affect coral reproduction by exposing coral gametes to microplastic leachate during fertilization. They found that the leachate significantly reduced fertilization success in the coral species Montipora capitata. The study highlights that the chemical pollution from degrading plastics, not just physical ingestion, poses a direct threat to coral reef reproduction and recovery.
A trait‐based framework for assessing the vulnerability of marine species to human impacts
Researchers developed a trait-based framework to assess the vulnerability of over 44,000 marine species across 12 taxonomic groups to 22 anthropogenic stressors including pollution and climate change. They found that mollusks, corals, and echinoderms had the highest overall vulnerability, while biomass removal from fishing posed the greatest threat across species. The framework provides a systematic approach for predicting how marine biodiversity will respond to human pressures, which can help guide conservation priorities.
Dining in the Deep: The Feeding Ecology of Deep-Sea Fishes
This review examines the feeding ecology of deep-sea fishes, which inhabit roughly 75% of the biosphere. The study discusses how diet analysis and trophic biomarkers have revealed important vertical connectivity in deep-sea food webs, including the potential for contaminants like microplastics to transfer through these food chains via benthic-pelagic coupling.
Microplastic burden in Africa: A review of occurrence, impacts, and sustainability potential of bioplastics
Researchers reviewed the occurrence, impacts, and distribution of microplastic pollution across Africa, where over 70% of daily waste is mismanaged. The review found that microplastics facilitate environmental consequences including metal toxicity in aquatic environments and enter the food chain, while also discussing the potential of bioplastics as a more sustainable alternative.