Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics inhibit the growth of endosymbiotic Symbiodinium tridacnidorum by altering photosynthesis and bacterial community

Researchers exposed a type of algae that lives inside coral to polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles slowed cell growth and reduced photosynthesis. At higher concentrations, the microplastics clumped together with the algal cells and caused physical damage. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution could harm coral reef ecosystems by disrupting the essential relationship between corals and their symbiotic algae.

2024 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of microplastics and nano-plastics to coral-symbiotic alga (Dinophyceae Symbiodinium): Evidence from alga physiology, ultrastructure, OJIP kinetics and multi-omics

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.

2024 Water Research 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic exposure represses the growth of endosymbiotic dinoflagellate Cladocopium goreaui in culture through affecting its apoptosis and metabolism

The coral symbiont alga Cladocopium goreaui was exposed to polystyrene microplastics for one week, resulting in reduced cell density and size, increased oxidative stress markers, and elevated apoptosis indicators. The findings suggest microplastics disrupt the physiology of reef-building coral symbionts, with implications for coral health.

2019 Chemosphere 108 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics disturb the anthozoan-algae symbiotic relationship

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.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 105 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics impair the photosynthetic capacities of Symbiodiniaceae and promote coral bleaching

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics at ecologically relevant concentrations impaired the photosynthetic capacity of Symbiodiniaceae algae and promoted coral bleaching, demonstrating that nanoplastic pollution poses a direct threat to coral-symbiont stability.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of coral reef dinoflagellates to nanoplastics under experimental conditions

Researchers exposed symbiotic dinoflagellates from coral reefs to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that cell growth and aggregation were significantly reduced after 10 days. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution could harm the tiny algae that are essential to coral reef health, with potential consequences for reef ecosystems.

2020 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic combined with Cr(III) on apoptosis and energy pathway of coral endosymbiont

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics combined with chromium affected coral endosymbiont density, chlorophyll content, and key enzymes involved in apoptosis and energy metabolism, revealing compounded stress on reef-building corals.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of micro-plastic particles on coral reef foraminifera

Three-week exposure experiments on two species of symbiont-bearing foraminifera found that polystyrene microplastics disrupted isotopic signatures, photosynthesis, and growth in these ecologically important marine protists.

2024 Scientific Reports 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion reduces energy intake in the clam Atactodea striata

Researchers found that microplastic ingestion by the clam Atactodea striata reduced clearance rate — and therefore energy intake — particularly at high concentrations, while respiration rate and absorption efficiency remained unchanged, with pseudofaeces and depuration limiting the amount of plastic retained in body tissue.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 185 citations
Article Tier 2

Experimental observation of microplastics invading the endoderm of anthozoan polyps

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.

2020 Marine Environmental Research 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination reduces productivity in a widespread freshwater photosymbiosis

Researchers investigated the effects of microplastic contamination on the freshwater photosymbiosis between Paramecium bursaria and Chlorella algae, finding that microplastic exposure reduced growth rate, symbiont density, metabolic rate, and feeding rate, suggesting that freshwater photosymbioses are vulnerable to plastic pollution similarly to marine associations.

2023 Aquatic Biology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Microplastic Exposure on the Community Structure and Function of Symbiotic Bacteria in Sinularia microclavata].

Researchers found that exposure to polyamide microplastics disrupts the community structure and function of symbiotic bacteria in the soft coral Sinularia microclavata, with effects varying by concentration, raising concerns about microplastic impacts on coral health in marine environments.

2023 PubMed 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics exhibit toxic effects on the widespread coral symbiotic Cladocopium goreaui

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics are highly toxic to Cladocopium goreaui, an algae species that corals depend on for survival. Larger microplastic particles nearly stopped the algae from reproducing and damaged their ability to photosynthesize. Since these symbiotic algae are essential to coral reef health, microplastic pollution could contribute to coral reef decline.

2025 Environmental Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Ocean acidification enhances microplastic uptake and alters physiological responses in Manila clams

Researchers found that ocean acidification (pH 7.6) impaired particle selection in Manila clams, leading to greater microplastic retention in the digestive tract, while filtration and respiration rates were maintained at higher levels under acidified conditions, suggesting suppressed stress responses and a synergistic interaction between ocean acidification and microplastic pollution.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Physiological stress response of the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata exposed to polyethylene microplastics

Researchers exposed the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata to polyethylene microplastics at varying concentrations, finding that high concentrations reduced photosynthetic efficiency in coral symbionts and disrupted polar metabolites, indicating physiological stress from microplastic exposure.

2020 Environmental Pollution 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of Coral Reef Dinoflagellates to Nanoplastics under Experimental Conditions Suggests Downregulation of Cellular Metabolism

Coral reef dinoflagellates were exposed to nanoplastics under controlled laboratory conditions to examine effects on cell growth, aggregation, and physiology. The study found that nanoplastic exposure altered dinoflagellate behavior and cellular responses, with implications for reef symbiotic relationships that depend on algal health.

2020 Microorganisms 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of the daily light-dark cycle on rhythms of behavior and physiology in boring giant clam Tridacna crocea

Researchers studied how the daily light-dark cycle regulates behavior and physiology in the boring giant clam Tridacna crocea, finding that light rhythms synchronize feeding activity, photosynthesis by symbiotic zooxanthellae, and metabolic processes in a tightly coordinated daily pattern.

2024 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Uptake and Effects of Nanoplastics on the Dinoflagellate Gymnodinium corollarium

This study exposed the marine dinoflagellate Gymnodinium corollarium to nanoplastics and found that, although the organism can ingest particles via phagotrophy, nanoplastic uptake disrupted cell growth and photosynthesis, highlighting the vulnerability of unicellular marine organisms to nanoplastic pollution.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Are microplastics impacting shellfish?

Researchers investigated whether microplastic contamination measurably impacts shellfish physiology, growth, reproduction, and health outcomes, assessing the ecological and food safety implications of microplastic exposure in commercially and ecologically important bivalve species.

2024
Article Tier 2

Do microplastics affect the zoanthid Zoanthus sociatus?

Scientists exposed the zoanthid coral Zoanthus sociatus to polystyrene microplastics and observed biochemical stress responses including oxidative damage and reduced energy reserves, providing evidence that non-scleractinian corals are also vulnerable to microplastic pollution.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nanoplastics on clam Ruditapes philippinarum at environmentally realistic concentrations: Toxicokinetics, toxicity, and gut microbiota

Researchers exposed clams to nanoplastics at concentrations found in real marine environments and tracked how the particles accumulated in their tissues over 14 days. The nanoplastics caused physical damage and significantly altered the clams' gut bacteria. This is concerning because clams are widely consumed seafood, meaning nanoplastic contamination could affect both marine ecosystems and human food sources.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Growth and Grazing Rates Reduced by Microplastic Ingestion

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic ingestion significantly reduced the growth and grazing rates of heterotrophic dinoflagellates, suggesting that microplastic pollution could disrupt marine microbial food webs at the single-celled predator level.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polyethylene microplastics on the clam Ruditapes decussatus (Mollusca: Bivalvia): examination of filtration rate, growth, and immunomodulation

Researchers exposed clams to polyethylene microplastics at three different concentrations for 14 days and measured the effects on feeding, growth, and immune function. They found that higher microplastic concentrations reduced the clams' ability to filter water and caused weight loss, while also disrupting immune cell integrity. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can impair both the feeding efficiency and immune defenses of shellfish.

2023 Ecotoxicology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics disrupt energy metabolism in the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis

Researchers exposed the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis to polystyrene microplastics and found disruption of digestive enzyme activity and depletion of energy reserves, demonstrating that microplastics impair energy metabolism in this zooplankton species.

2023 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 19 citations