Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 13, 2025
10:16
Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis
Published on: December 16, 2016
50.3K
Scleractinian corals incorporate microplastic particles: identification from a laboratory study.
Florian Hierl1,2, Henry C Wu3, Hildegard Westphal3,4
1Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Fahrenheitstraße 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany. florian.hierl@leibniz-zmt.de.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research International
|March 15, 2021
Summary
Microplastic pollution from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was studied in corals. Coral skeletons incorporated microplastic particles, but long-term effects remain unknown.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Ecotoxicology
- Coral Reef Science
Background:
- Microplastic pollution is pervasive in marine environments, from surface waters to the deep sea.
- Marine organisms risk ingesting microplastics, leading to bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
- The impacts of microplastic pollution on coral reef ecosystems and physiology are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of microplastic pollution on the skeletal precipitation of hermatypic corals.
- To assess the incorporation of microplastics into coral skeletons.
Main Methods:
- A five-month aquarium experiment exposed four tropical coral species to high concentrations (0.5 g L-1) of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastic particles (< 500 μm).
Main Results:
- Coral specimens survived the microplastic exposure and exhibited skeletal growth.
- Microplastic particles and fibers were found incorporated into the aragonitic structure of the newly formed coral skeletons.
Conclusions:
- Hermatypic corals can incorporate microplastics into their skeletons.
- The long-term consequences of microplastic inclusion on coral skeletal stability are currently unknown and require further investigation.
