Mongabay · Climate & nature

New 'Plasticoral' Formation Raises Environmental Concerns

Researchers have identified a new form of plastic pollution, termed 'plasticoral,' where plastic is thermally fused to coral rubble, potentially leading to chemical leaching and habitat degradation.

Scientists discovered five pieces of plasticoral on three beaches in Okinawa, Japan, during a marine litter survey. This finding was unexpected, as the researchers were not specifically looking for this phenomenon.

Plasticoral is a subset of plastiglomerates, which are melted plastic fused with natural materials. However, plasticoral is distinct because the melted plastic conforms to the intricate structure of coral rubble.

The researchers suspect beach fires caused the plastic to burn into the coral rubble. Laboratory analysis identified polyethylene and polypropylene in the samples, common plastics found in oceans that can deform when heated.

Burning plastic can release harmful chemicals and break down into microplastics, which can enter the environment and food chain. This process poses risks to both humans and wildlife.

While found on rubble, not living coral, plasticoral could affect the microhabitats that coral rubble provides for invertebrates and other organisms. The fused plastic may prevent rubble from functioning as natural substrates.

This discovery adds to concerns about the pervasive nature of plastic pollution, with estimates of 199 million tons in the oceans and the suggestion that Earth is entering a 'Plasticene' era.

Researchers believe plasticoral could represent an early stage in the formation of a persistent sedimentary record of plastic pollution in tropical reef environments and aim to document such litter.

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