Surveying reefs from shallow to never-before-seenįor the study, the researchers conducted more than 1,200 visual surveys across 84 shallow and mesophotic reef ecosystems located in 14 countries. “From macroplastics that spread coral diseases to fishing lines that entangle and damage the structural complexity of the reef, decreasing both fish abundance and diversity, pollution negatively impacts the entire coral reef ecosystem.” “Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing problems plaguing ocean ecosystems, and coral reefs are no exception,” says Hudson Pinheiro, PhD, the study’s lead author, a biologist at the Center for Marine Biology of the University of São Paulo, and an Academy research fellow. Through underwater visual surveys spanning more than two dozen locations across the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans, the researchers expose the abundance, distribution, and drivers of plastic pollution at various depths, which in turn enables them to identify what conservation efforts could be prioritized-and where-to protect our planet’s vulnerable coral reefs.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (July 12, 2023) - In a paper published today in Nature, researchers from the California Academy of Sciences, University of São Paulo, University of Oxford, University of Exeter, and other collaborators reveal the extent of plastic pollution on coral reefs, finding that debris increases with depth, largely stems from fishing activities, and is correlated with proximity to marine protected areas.
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