Saturday, September 19, 2026
Science

'Plasticorals,' coral rubble fused with plastic, represent a new form of plastic pollution

During routine beach litter surveys on the subtropical island of Okinawa, Japan, researchers came across small, brightly colored specks in the pale coral rubble. Back at the lab, spectroscopic and microscopic analyses revealed that these specks are, in fact, melted polymers from common household pla...

'Plasticorals,' coral rubble fused with plastic, represent a new form of plastic pollution
Image: Phys.org
During routine beach litter surveys on the subtropical island of Okinawa, Japan, researchers came across small, brightly colored specks in the pale coral rubble. Back at the lab, spectroscopic and microscopic analyses revealed that these specks are, in fact, melted polymers from common household plastics that have seeped inseparably into the skeletal pores of the dead coral pieces.

Originally published at Phys.org

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