Plastic waste can promote the growth of microorganisms and cause disease outbreaks in the ocean through germs. We assessed the risk of coral disease from plastic waste on 124,000 reef-building corals on 159 reefs in the Asia-Pacific region. When corals came into contact with plastic, their disease risk rose from 4 percent to 89 percent. The infection rate of corals with complex structures was 8 times higher than that of corals with general structures. This suggests that reef-associated organisms and microbial microhabitats of valuable fisheries will be disproportionately affected. The plastic buildup on coral reefs is a measure of the amount of plastic that is mismanaged on land and into the sea. We estimate that 11.1 billion pieces of plastic debris are entangled with coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific region, and this number is expected to increase by 40% by 2025. Plastic waste management is critical for reducing threats to ecosystem health and disease prevention for humans.
Source: "Science"