Abstract
Microplastics pollution differentially impacts coral reef systems, by threatening corals physically, through physiological distress and by increasing diseases. However, most of the studies to date have focused on scleractinian corals. The present work reports for the first time the patterns of microplastic ingestion and adhesion by the alcyonacean Coelogorgia palmosa. Feeding and adhesion tests were carried out with various concentrations of polyethylene microbeads. Results showed a wide range of surface adhesion, ranging from 3 to 1573 microbeads per coral fragment, suggesting that adhesion driven by mucus is the main mechanism of microplastic trapping. Polyethylene was ingested by 60% of coral fragments, and the average number of ingested microbeads was much lower compared to scleractinian corals. Considering the ecological importance of soft corals in coral reef ecosystems, specific attention regarding microplastic pollution effects on this taxon is recommended.
Highlights
IntroductionLamb et al (2018) reported that 11.1 billion plastic items were entangled on coral reefs across the Asia-Pacific, estimating that this number will likely increase by 40% by 2025
Plastic accounts for 80% of all accumulated ocean litter, with an estimated global emission to the oceans in 2010 of 8 million metric tons (Jambeck et al 2015), an amount that has likely exponentially increased since (Borrelle et al 2020). Lamb et al (2018) reported that 11.1 billion plastic items were entangled on coral reefs across the Asia-Pacific, estimating that this number will likely increase by 40% by 2025.Plastic wastes gradually break into microscopic fragments (Huang et al 2021), known as microplastics (< 5 mm in size)
The highest adhesion value of PE beads per coral fragment was observed in T2, with
Summary
Lamb et al (2018) reported that 11.1 billion plastic items were entangled on coral reefs across the Asia-Pacific, estimating that this number will likely increase by 40% by 2025. Plastic wastes gradually break into microscopic fragments (Huang et al 2021), known as microplastics (< 5 mm in size). Microplastic ingestion by scleractinian corals has been demonstrated, and several studies have documented their negative effects. Most such studies to date have focused on scleractinian species, while non-scleractinian anthozoans have been neglected. Studies on the interaction between non-scleractinian anthozoans and microplastics are circumscribed to the zoanthids, known as ‘button polyps’ (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia: Zoantharia). PVC, polyethylene (PE) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microplastic adhesion and ingestion caused mucus secretion and bleaching in Protopalythoa sp. PVC, polyethylene (PE) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microplastic adhesion and ingestion caused mucus secretion and bleaching in Protopalythoa sp. (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia: Zoantharia) (Jiang et al 2021)
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