Phys.org  September 20, 2024 Individual coral polyps contain three distinct components—the surface mucus layer, tissue, and skeleton; each component may exhibit varying extent of microplastic (MP) accumulation and serve as a short- or long-term repository for these pollutants. An international team of researchers (Japan, Thailand) investigated the adhesion and accumulation of MPs in four coral species in the upper Gulf of Thailand. They found that accumulation varied significantly among the four coral species and their components. The most common MP morphotype was fragment, accounting for 75.29 % of the total MPs found in the coral. Notably, most MPs were black, […]