Papers

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Article Tier 2

Video 1_Microplastic exposure under future oceanic conditions further threatens an endangered coral, Acropora cervicornis.mp4

This supplementary video documents the experimental setup and results for a study investigating the combined effects of microplastic exposure and future ocean conditions (acidification and warming) on the threatened Caribbean coral Acropora cervicornis. The coral showed accelerated physiological decline under combined stressors.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of microplastic pollution and heat stress on reef-building corals

This study tested the combined effects of microplastic exposure and heat stress on reef-building corals, finding that the combination caused more damage than either stressor alone. As climate change raises ocean temperatures, the simultaneous pressure from plastic pollution may accelerate coral reef decline.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics impair growth in two atlantic scleractinian coral species, Pseudodiploria clivosa and Acropora cervicornis

Researchers tested the effects of microplastic exposure on two Atlantic coral species and found that both ingested microplastic particles, with retention times varying by particle size. During a 12-week chronic exposure, both coral species showed significantly impaired growth compared to controls. The study provides evidence that microplastics represent an additional stressor for already-threatened reef-building corals.

2021 Environmental Pollution 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to global change and microplastics elicits an immune response in an endangered coral

Researchers exposed an endangered coral species to combined stressors of elevated seawater temperature, reduced pH, and microplastics, finding that these global change factors together with local microplastic pollution elicit measurable immune responses, suggesting additive or synergistic stress effects on reef-building corals.

2022 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to global change and microplastics elicits an immune response in an endangered coral

Researchers examined how the combination of ocean warming, acidification, and microplastic exposure affects the endangered coral Acropora cervicornis over 22 days. They found that while individual stressors produced subtle gene expression changes, the combined multistressor treatment triggered the strongest response, particularly in genes related to innate immunity. The study suggests that microplastics may compound the effects of climate change on coral health by activating immune stress responses.

2023 Frontiers in Marine Science 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of microplastic pollution and heat stress on reef-building corals

Researchers tested the combined effects of microplastic pollution and heat stress on five reef-building coral species in controlled laboratory experiments. They found that while heat stress caused significant bleaching, tissue death, and reduced photosynthetic efficiency, microplastics alone had only minor effects at ambient temperatures, suggesting that climate change remains a far greater threat to coral reefs than microplastic pollution.

2021 Environmental Pollution 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Oxidative stress and histological alterations in coral Briareum violacea co-exposed to ocean acidification and microplastic stressors

Researchers exposed the coral Briareum violacea to combined ocean acidification and polyethylene microplastics for 21 days. The study found that the combination of lower pH and microplastic exposure caused greater oxidative stress and tissue damage than either stressor alone, suggesting that these two major environmental threats may have compounding effects on coral health.

2025 Marine Environmental Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Stressed out in a changed world: investigating the strength of the temperate coral response to acute and chronic anthropogenic stress

This study examined how multiple simultaneous stressors — elevated temperature, microplastic pollution, and reduced food and light availability — affect the physiology and survival of a temperate coral species used as a research model. Corals experiencing chronic exposure to these combined stressors showed reduced ability to respond to additional acute stress events.

2022 OpenBU (Boston University)
Article Tier 2

Impact of micro-and nanoplastic contamination on reef-building corals

Researchers exposed two tropical coral species to micro- and nanoplastics of varying polymer types and assessed bleaching, symbiont loss, and tissue damage. Both species showed stress responses including reduced photosynthetic efficiency and partial bleaching, with effects varying by plastic type and size, suggesting reef-building corals are vulnerable to plastic pollution.

2025
Article Tier 2

Physical and cellular impact of environmentally relevant microplastic exposure on thermally challenged Pocillopora damicornis (Cnidaria, Scleractinia)

Corals exposed to microplastics at levels currently found in the ocean showed more cellular damage when also stressed by warm water temperatures. The microplastics triggered inflammation-like responses and slowed down tissue repair in the corals. This matters because coral reefs are already under severe pressure from climate change, and microplastic pollution appears to make their situation worse.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 22 citations
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

Acute microplastic exposure raises stress response and suppresses detoxification and immune capacities in the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis

Researchers exposed the reef-building coral Pocillopora damicornis to microplastics and found elevated stress responses along with suppressed immune and cellular defense capacities. The study suggests that microplastic pollution could compromise coral health by overwhelming stress pathways while simultaneously weakening the organisms' ability to cope with other environmental threats.

2018 Environmental Pollution 286 citations
Article Tier 2

Mathematical Analysis on the Effects of Microplastic Pollution and Ocean Acidification on Coral Reefs in Aquatic Ecosystem

Researchers developed a mathematical model with time-varying parameters to simulate the combined effects of microplastic pollution and ocean acidification on coral reef ecosystems, finding that the interaction between these stressors can amplify ecological damage beyond what either factor causes alone.

2025 Jambura Journal of Biomathematics (JJBM)
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics Exposure on the Acropora sp. Antioxidant, Immunization and Energy Metabolism Enzyme Activities

Researchers exposed Acropora coral fragments to microplastics and measured antioxidant enzyme activity, immune markers, and energy metabolism enzymes, finding that MP exposure elevated oxidative stress and suppressed immune function, with effects worsening at higher concentrations.

2021 Frontiers in Microbiology 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics ingestion and heterotrophy in thermally stressed corals

Researchers exposed two coral species to ambient and elevated temperatures and then fed them microplastics, Artemia nauplii, or both, finding that thermal stress significantly reduced feeding on prey but did not decrease microplastic ingestion. Notably, one species only ingested microplastics when live food was simultaneously present, suggesting incidental rather than selective uptake and highlighting species-level variability in microplastic risk under climate change.

2019 Scientific Reports 84 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated toxicokinetic/toxicodynamic assessment modeling reveals at-risk scleractinian corals under extensive microplastics impacts

An integrated toxicokinetic/toxicodynamic modeling approach was applied to quantify microplastic-coral interaction dynamics across multiple scleractinian coral species, identifying species-specific vulnerability thresholds and predicting which coral species are most at risk under current microplastic pollution levels.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Responses of reef building corals to microplastic exposure

Researchers exposed six species of small-polyp stony corals to polyethylene microplastics to characterize their responses and potential health effects. They found that corals interacted with the particles through ingestion and adhesion, with responses varying by species and coral morphology. The study suggests that microplastic exposure could affect reef-building corals, which are already under stress from climate change and ocean acidification.

2017 Environmental Pollution 291 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in corals: An emergent threat

A summary of recent research found that microplastics impair coral health through species-specific mechanisms including reduced growth, altered enzymatic activity, increased mucus production, disrupted coral-algae symbiosis, and bleaching — with effects observed even at concentrations below current environmental maxima.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effect of microplastics and global warming factors on early growth and development of the sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus)

Researchers studied the combined effects of microplastics, ocean acidification, and temperature increase on sea urchin larval development. Microplastics alone reduced larval growth by about 20%, but when combined with lowered pH, growth inhibition was significantly greater and morphological abnormalities appeared. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can compound the effects of climate change stressors on marine organisms during their most vulnerable developmental stages.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesized effects of medium-term exposure to seawater acidification and microplastics on the physiology and energy budget of the thick shell mussel Mytilus coruscus

Researchers found that combined exposure to ocean acidification and microplastics significantly reduced the feeding rate, food absorption, and energy budget of the thick shell mussel Mytilus coruscus, with acidification amplifying the negative effects of microplastics.

2022 Environmental Pollution 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling individual and combined toxicity of microplastics and tetracycline at environment-related concentrations to coral holobionts

Researchers tested how microplastics alone and combined with the antibiotic tetracycline affect coral organisms at levels actually found in the ocean. The combination was more toxic than either pollutant alone, disrupting the coral's symbiotic algae, microbiome, and immune responses. Since coral reefs support fisheries and coastal communities worldwide, this damage from microplastic pollution could have cascading effects on both marine ecosystems and the people who depend on them.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics effects in a multiple stressed marine environment

Researchers examined how micro- and nanoplastics interact with other environmental stressors in marine settings, finding that realistic multi-stressor scenarios can amplify or modify plastic toxicity in ways single-exposure studies miss.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: impacts on corals and other reef organisms

This study reviewed the growing body of evidence on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect corals and other reef organisms. Researchers found that these plastic particles can impair coral feeding, growth, and reproduction, and may worsen the effects of other stressors like ocean warming. The review highlights that plastic pollution represents an additional serious threat to already vulnerable reef ecosystems worldwide.

2023 Figshare 47 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