Garbage in the ocean chokes coral reefs

Plastic pollution in the ocean contributes to the expansion of colonizing microbes that in turn raise the risk of suffering from a series of coral diseases known as the white syndrome, according to the study.

The coral reefs of the Asia-Pacific region are "buried" by more than 11,000 million pieces of plastic that greatly increase the risk of diseases in these vulnerable ecosystems, scientists today warned in a new report published in the magazine. Science ".

One third of the reefs are contaminated with plastic, the most affected being Indonesia, with about 25 pieces per 100 square meters. Those in Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef, are relatively clean, with 0.4 per 100 square meters.

Plastic pollution in the ocean contributes to the expansion of colonizing microbes that in turn raise the risk of suffering from a series of coral diseases known as the white syndrome, according to the study.

The probability of finding diseased corals in reefs free from contamination with plastic is only four percent compared to 89 percent in reefs with plastic. The contact with the plastic multiplies in more than 20 the risk of suffering diseases.

The study is based on the analysis of 124,000 corals in more than 150 reefs between 2011 and 2014 from Australia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand.

"Around the world, more than 275 million people depend on food, coastal protection, tourism income or the cultural value provided by coral reefs," said Joleah Lam, author of the research.

"We do not know the exact mechanism, but plastics are the ideal means of colonizing microscopic organisms that can cause diseases if they come into contact with corals," Lam said in a statement.

Reducing the amount of plastic in the ocean can prevent diseases among corals, Lamb said. "Once the corals have become infected, it is logistically difficult to treat the resulting diseases," he warned.

In addition, the study foresees an increase in plastic garbage in the reefs of the Asia-Pacific region, with 15,000 million pieces before 2025.

The reefs suffer a continuous whitening due to the increase of the temperature of the water and the contamination, as well as to an epidemic of a type of starfish that devours the corals.