CORAL REEFS ARE TAKING A LOT of grief these days, from bleaching events to increasingly acidic and oxygen-free zones in the oceans due to climate change. Now, scientists are pointing to yet another menace. Deadly bacteria and plastic, when combined, raise the likelihood of disease-ridden coral twentyfold, according to a new study.
The dangerous duo works like this: Bacteria hitch a ride on chunks of plastic—including plastic bags, fishing line, diapers and the plastics in common items like bottle caps and toothbrushes. The plastic acts like a “marine motor home” for the bacteria, says study lead author Joleah Lamb, a Cornell University postdoctoral research fellow. Bacteria colonize these plastic bits, which brush against coral reefs, scraping and cutting open their skin, creating an easy pathway to infect the reefs. “This…
