Responses of reef building corals to microplastic exposure

Reichert, Jessica; Schellenberg, Johannes; Schubert, Patrick; Wilke, Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2017.11.006

Cited by 215 publications

(163 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…By contrast, some organisms, such as the copepod Acartia clausi, may be able to selectively avoid microplastics [60]. Corals, however, have mixed responses [39]. This suggests a need for species-specific studies on feeding behaviour and the dynamics of microplastic ingestion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa experienced reduced skeletal growth rates when exposed to microplastics [40], whereas microplastic ingestion had no effect on calcification in two shallow Caribbean reef species [41]. In response to microplastic exposure, Pocillopora damicornis demonstrated increased stress and diminished immune function [42], but Porites lutea was able to upregulate mucus production and showed no negative health effects [39]. Microplastic exposure on cnidarian-algal symbioses is also varied, ranging from no change in symbiont density [42] to disruption of symbiosis [43], with bleached Aiptasia anemones showing decreased ability to discriminate against microfibre ingestion [44].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Patterns, dynamics and consequences of microplastic ingestion by the temperate coral, Astrangia poculata

et al. 2019

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Microplastics (less than 5 mm) are a recognized threat to aquatic food webs because they are ingested at multiple trophic levels and may bioaccumulate. In urban coastal environments, high densities of microplastics may disrupt nutritional intake. However, behavioural dynamics and consequences of microparticle ingestion are still poorly understood. As filter or suspension feeders, benthic marine invertebrates are vulnerable to microplastic ingestion. We explored microplastic ingestion by the temperate coral Astrangia poculata . We detected an average of over 100 microplastic particles per polyp in wild-captured colonies from Rhode Island. In the laboratory, corals were fed microbeads to characterize ingestion preference and retention of microplastics and consequences on feeding behaviour. Corals were fed biofilmed microplastics to test whether plastics serve as vectors for microbes. Ingested microplastics were apparent within the mesenterial tissues of the gastrovascular cavity. Corals preferred microplastic beads and declined subsequent offerings of brine shrimp eggs of the same diameter, suggesting that microplastic ingestion can inhibit food intake. The corals co-ingested Escherichia coli cells with microbeads. These findings detail specific mechanisms by which microplastics threaten corals, but also hint that the coral A. poculata , which has a large coastal range, may serve as a useful bioindicator and monitoring tool for microplastic pollution.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns, dynamics and consequences of microplastic ingestion by the temperate coral, Astrangia poculata

et al. 2019

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“…Since the tissue is responsible for the digestion, this raises concerns of the ability to ingest natural food (Hall et al 2015;Allen et al 2017). Research on corals is still scarce, but some negative impacts on the health of stony corals were documented with the potential to be sublethal in the long term (Reichert et al 2018;Tang et al 2018). In addition to size, the shape of the microplastics is influential.…”

Section: The Physical Aspect: Consequences Of Microplastic Uptakementioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding How Microplastics Affect Marine Biota on the Cellular Level Is Important for Assessing Ecosystem Function: A Review

Prinz

Korez

2019

YOUMARES 9 - The Oceans: Our Research, Our Future

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Plastic has become indispensable for human life. When plastic debris is discarded into waterways, these items can interact with organisms. Of particular concern are microscopic plastic particles (microplastics) which are subject to ingestion by several taxa. This review summarizes the results of cutting-edge research about the interactions between a range of aquatic species and microplastics, including effects on biota physiology and secondary ingestion. Uptake pathways via digestive or ventilatory systems are discussed, including (1) the physical penetration of microplastic particles into cellular structures, (2) leaching of chemical additives or adsorbed persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and (3) consequences of bacterial or viral microbiota contamination associated with microplastic ingestion. Following uptake, a number of individual-level effects have been observed, including reduction of feeding activities, reduced growth and reproduction through cellular modifications, and oxidative stress. Microplastic-associated effects on marine biota have become increasingly investigated with growing concerns regarding human health through trophic transfer. We argue that research on the cellular interactions with microplastics provide an understanding of their impact to the organisms' fitness and, therefore, its ability to sustain their functional role in the ecosystem. The review summarizes information from 236 scientific publications. Of those, only 4.6% extrapolate their research of microplastic intake on individual species to the impact on ecosystem functioning. We emphasize the need for risk evaluation from organismal effects to an ecosystem level to effectively evaluate the effect of microplastic pollution on marine environments. Further studies are encouraged to investigate sublethal effects in the context of environmentally relevant microplastic pollution conditions.

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“…When corals contact alien particles, such as microplastics, they have been found to respond in a variety of ways, depending on the species. Such responses include deploying cleaning mechanisms, retaining particles through overgrowth, and egesting ingested plastic particles (Stafford-Smith and Ormond, 1992;Reichert et al, 2018). Previous studies on the ingestion of microplastics by corals have, altogether, considered only a few species of corals (Hall et al, 2015;Allen et al, 2017;Reichert et al, 2018;Martin et al, 2019;Rotjan et al, 2019) and have employed experimental conditions that depart from the natural conditions of the marine environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Passive and Active Removal of Marine Microplastics by a Mushroom Coral (Danafungia scruposa)

et al. 2020

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Although millions of tons of plastics end up in oceans each year, floating plastics account for only about 1% of all plastic inputs in the ocean. Particularly, microplastics below 1 mm in length, are missing in surface waters due to removal processes like ingestion by marine animals, biofouling, and sinking. Here, we studied how a species of mushroom corals (Danafungia scruposa), common in the Maldives, contributed to the removal of microplastics from the water suspension through active (ingestion) and passive (adhesion to the surface) mechanisms. We evaluated if removal rates were affected by the presence of the coral natural prey (i.e., Artemia salina) and by biofouling on the surface of the microplastic. We found that the coral quickly interacts both actively and passively with microplastics and that the probability for the coral to ingest and retain microplastics was higher when the surface of the microplastic was biofouled. We also found that passive adhesion of microplastics was the primary mechanism through which corals sequester microplastics from the water column.

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Responses of reef building corals to microplastic exposure

Cited by 215 publications

References 47 publications

Patterns, dynamics and consequences of microplastic ingestion by the temperate coral, Astrangia poculata

Patterns, dynamics and consequences of microplastic ingestion by the temperate coral, Astrangia poculata

Understanding How Microplastics Affect Marine Biota on the Cellular Level Is Important for Assessing Ecosystem Function: A Review

Passive and Active Removal of Marine Microplastics by a Mushroom Coral (Danafungia scruposa)

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