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Mediterranean corals polluted by industrial pollutants for the first time, offering scientists a potential new tool to track the history of pollution, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.
Mediterranean Corals Pollutants: A Novel Tool for Tracking Pollution History
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Key Findings:
– Mediterranean Corals Pollutants: A Novel Tool for Tracking Pollution History
– Carbon Particles from Fossil Fuel Combustion Found in Mediterranean Corals
– SCPs in Corals as a Marker for the Anthropocene Epoch
Corals as Natural Archives of Pollution History:
Corals, small invertebrates that form extensive colonies, have been traditionally used to study past climatic conditions like water temperatures and chemistries. However, this recent discovery marks the first time that pollutant particles, other than microplastics, have been recovered from corals.
Corals ingest SCP pollutants from the surrounding waters and incorporate them into their calcium carbonate skeletons as they grow. This process creates a record of pollution levels over time, making corals valuable natural archives for gauging changing pollution levels.
Tracking the Anthropocene Epoch:
Scientists are searching for tools to mark the beginning of the Anthropocene epoch, a geological time unit describing the recent age where human activity has become the dominant influence on Earth’s climate and environment. The presence of SCPs has been proposed as a potential marker for the start of the Anthropocene.
The discovery of SCPs in coral skeletons supports this argument, as they have been identified in various natural deposits, including lake and marine sediments, ice cores, and peat beds.
Implications and Future Research:
The findings highlight the extensive human influence on the environment and serve as a reminder of the need to address pollution and its impact on ecosystems.
Corals can provide valuable insights into the history of human impact on the natural world, aiding researchers in better understanding the long-term effects of pollution and climate change.
Future research will focus on expanding the study to other coral species and regions, further solidifying the role of corals as natural archives of pollution history and contributing to the understanding of the Anthropocene epoch..
FAQ’s
What is the key finding of the study?
Pollutants from burning fossil fuels have been discovered embedded in Mediterranean corals for the first time. This offers a novel approach to tracking pollution history.
Where were the pollutants found?
The pollutants were found in coral skeletons from Illa Grossa Bay, off the Columbretes Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea.
What type of pollutants were found?
The pollutants were spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs), which are carbon particles from fossil fuel combustion.
Why are corals valuable for tracking pollution history?
Corals ingest SCP pollutants from the surrounding waters and incorporate them into their calcium carbonate skeletons as they grow. This process creates a record of pollution levels over time, making corals valuable natural archives for gauging changing pollution levels.
How can SCPs in corals be used to track the Anthropocene epoch?
The presence of SCPs in coral skeletons has been proposed as a potential marker for the start of the Anthropocene epoch. The Anthropocene is a geological time unit describing the recent age where human activity has become the dominant influence on Earth’s climate and environment.
Links to additional Resources:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/ https://www.nature.com/.Related Wikipedia Articles
Topics: Mediterranean coral, Spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs), Anthropocene epochPrecious coral
Precious coral, or red coral, is the common name given to a genus of marine corals, Corallium. The distinguishing characteristic of precious corals is their durable and intensely colored red or pink-orange skeleton, which is used for making jewelry.
Read more: Precious coral
Anthropocene
The Anthropocene ( ) is the common name for a proposed geological epoch, dating from the commencement of significant human impact on Earth up to the present day. It affects Earth's geology, landscape, limnology, ecosystems and climate. The effects of human activities on Earth can be seen for example in...
Read more: Anthropocene
