Study finds carbon particles emitted from burning fossil fuels embedded in corals of Illa Grossa Bay, off Spain’s Colombretes Islands
Pollutants from burning fossil fuels have been found embedded in corals for the first time, offering scientists a potential new tool for monitoring environmental pollution.
The study, led by University College London researchers, found carbon particles emitted from burning fossil fuels embedded in the corals of Illa Grossa Bay, off the Colombretes Islands, Spain.
Corals are a frequently used natural record for paleoclimate studies because of their measurable growth rates. Similar to tree rings, their long lifespan and slow and regular growth can provide scientists with annual, monthly or even weekly environmental data going back years. Until now they have been largely used to measure past climates, but now is the first time that pollutant particles (other than microplastics) have been recovered from corals.
The researchers collected coral samples from various locations off the coast of Castellón, Spain. The corals were located nearly 60 kilometers off shore and within a protected marine sanctuary, minimizing the potential for contamination. This particular coral species, Cladocora caespitosa, is the only Mediterranean coral with the ability to form large reefs and grows on average about 0.3 cm per year.
Studying the corals in the lab, the researchers found that they experienced a significant increase in contamination from spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCP), fossil fuel residues, between 1969 and 1992, a period of intense industrialization.
“The discovery of these pollutants embedded in coral skeletons spans decades and gives a clear picture of how far-reaching human influence is on the environment. “This is the first time we have seen these types of contaminants in corals, and their occurrence in these deposits parallels the historical rate of fossil fuel burning in the region,” says lead study author Lucy Roberts from UCL.
The study was carried out in collaboration with the Spanish institute Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal and the University of Leicester and is published in the journal “Science of the Total Environment”.
Photo Credit: Diego K. Kersting
Source: Skai
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