Wasting time handling waste: microplastics impair the feeding performance of a Mediterranean coral

The Mediterranean Sea is highly affected by microplastics. This kind of pollutants is ubiquitous, and interacts with the marine biota at different levels: ingestion of microplastics was observed in an impressive number of marine species. The aim of this work is to verify if microplastics can produce a feeding impairment in Astroides calycularis, a shallow water coral species endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. Our findings suggest that microplastics can impair the feeding efficiency of A. calycularis, and therefore are likely to reduce its fitness.