A laboratory study by scientist Keiko Wilkins found plastic consumed by coral can impede a reef’s growth. The study was conducted at the University of Hawaii’s Kewalo Marine Laboratory. University of Hawaii/ Mackenzie Jahnke

A University of Hawaii marine scientist has conducted a study that found plastic pollution disturbs the recovery of threatened reefs.

Keiko Wilkins, who recently earned her doctorate from the university’s marine biology graduate program, found plastics disrupt reproduction of adult corals and the settling of their larvae to establish reefs.

Wilkins said the experiments were conducted in the Kewalo Marine Laboratory, and she’s now working with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration to extend the experiments into the ocean.

According to Wilkins, she gravitated toward water while growing up in the lake area of Ohio and participating in sports.

“As a competitive swimmer, l had a fascination with water and the ocean,” she said.

She was able to combine her fascination with a career in marine biology, and as a person with a Black Chinese background, she also had an interest in working with minority children and the laboratory at Keawalo provided the opportunity.

The work by Wilkins is among the first to demonstrate the hidden dangers of plastic on reefs, which may help explain why some reefs are failing to recover after mass-bleaching events.

“When people think of threats to coral reefs, microplastics are often unnoticed,” Wilkins said. “Not only do corals eat microplastics, microplastic-associated chemicals may have hidden impacts. My research highlights this issue, urging us to see plastic pollution as a complex stressor to our reefs.”

The research showed that plastic leachates, or the chemicals released from plastics in water, significantly reduced fertilization rates in coral.

The study also demonstrated that these same chemicals harm the coral larvae’s ability to settle on reefs, an essential step for replenishing coral populations.

“Keiko’s research is timely and essential in supporting efforts at the protection of coral reefs and all who depend on them,” said Bob Richmond, director of the Kewalo Marine Laboratory and Wilkins’ advisor. “Her results provide proof of the unseen, damaging effects of plastic pollution and the need to urgently address this problem if we are to leave a legacy of vital coral reefs for future generations.”