Microplastics do not affect bleaching of Acropora cervicornis at ambient or elevated temperatures.

ABSTRACT: Microplastic pollution can harm organisms and ecosystems such as coral reefs. Corals are important habitat-forming organisms that are sensitive to environmental conditions and have been declining due to stressors associated with climate change. Despite their ecological importance, it is unclear how corals may be affected by microplastics or if there are synergistic effects with rising ocean temperatures. To address this research gap, we experimentally examined the combined effects of environmentally relevant microplastic concentrations (i.e., the global average) and elevated temperatures on bleaching of the threatened Caribbean coral, Acropora cervicornis. In a controlled laboratory setting, we exposed coral fragments to orthogonally crossed treatment levels of low-density po

SUBMITTER: Plafcan MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9208371 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature