Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic exposure under future oceanic conditions further threatens an endangered coral, Acropora cervicornis

Researchers exposed the threatened Caribbean coral Acropora cervicornis to microplastics under predicted future ocean conditions (acidification and warming) and found that combined stressors were more damaging than individual stressors. Growth rates declined and photosynthetic efficiency dropped most under the combined microplastic plus ocean warming and acidification treatment.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science
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

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

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

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

Peer Review #2 of "Microplastics do not affect bleaching of Acropora cervicornis at ambient or elevated temperatures (v0.2)"

This peer review evaluates a study examining whether microplastic pollution affects bleaching in the coral Acropora cervicornis at ambient or elevated temperatures, contributing to peer scrutiny of research on microplastic interactions with climate-stressed coral reef ecosystems.

2022
Article Tier 2

Peer Review #2 of "Microplastics do not affect bleaching of Acropora cervicornis at ambient or elevated temperatures (v0.1)"

This peer review provides a second independent evaluation of a study examining whether microplastic pollution affects bleaching in Acropora cervicornis coral at ambient or elevated temperatures, contributing to rigorous assessment of microplastic impacts on coral reef organisms.

2022
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

Peer Review #1 of "Microplastics do not affect bleaching of Acropora cervicornis at ambient or elevated temperatures (v0.2)"

This peer review provides evaluation of a revised study on whether microplastic pollution affects coral bleaching in Acropora cervicornis, examining the research design and findings related to microplastic stress interactions with thermally stressed coral reefs.

2022
Article Tier 2

Macro- and microplastics affect cold-water corals growth, feeding and behaviour

Both macro- and microplastics negatively affected the growth, feeding behavior, and overall condition of cold-water corals in laboratory experiments, with microplastics causing more pronounced effects at lower concentrations. The findings raise concerns about the health of deep-sea coral reefs as plastic debris accumulates at depth.

2018 Scientific Reports 209 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

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

Peer Review #1 of "Microplastics do not affect bleaching of Acropora cervicornis at ambient or elevated temperatures (v0.1)"

This peer review evaluates an initial version of a study examining whether microplastic pollution affects bleaching in the coral Acropora cervicornis at ambient or elevated temperatures, assessing the methodology and conclusions of research on microplastics in coral reef ecosystems.

2022
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

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

Supplementary material from "Microplastic exposure interacts with habitat degradation to affect behaviour and survival of juvenile fish in the field"

This field study exposed juvenile coral reef fish to polystyrene microplastics and then released them onto either healthy or degraded coral reef patches. Fish exposed to microplastics on degraded reefs had significantly higher mortality and altered behavior compared to controls, demonstrating that microplastic exposure and habitat degradation can interact to amplify harm to reef fish in the wild.

2020 Figshare
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

Effects of Microplastics on Coral Xenia elongata: an Experimental Approach

Researchers experimentally exposed coral Xenia elongata to microplastics in tank conditions to assess ingestion and tissue effects. Corals ingested microplastic particles when available and showed early signs of zooxanthellae disruption and tissue damage, contributing experimental evidence to field observations of coral-microplastic interactions.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental contamination
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

Data for: McCormick, Chivers, Ferrari, Blandford, Fakan & Allan. Microplastic consumption interacts with habitat degradation to affect behaviour and survival of juvenile fish

This dataset accompanies a study on how coral reef fish respond to microplastics under predicted climate change conditions, including elevated CO2 and temperature. The data supports research on whether environmental stress makes marine organisms more vulnerable to plastic pollution.

2019
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

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

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

Effects of acute microplastic exposure on physiological parameters in Tubastrea aurea corals

Researchers exposed the coral species Tubastrea aurea to acute concentrations of PVC microplastics and measured physiological responses. They found that microplastic exposure triggered stress responses including changes in protein content, oxidative stress markers, and energy metabolism in the corals. The study provides early evidence that microplastics can disrupt the physiology of azooxanthellate corals, which lack symbiotic algae and rely entirely on particle feeding.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 66 citations