Plastic pollution on the world's coral reefs.

Coral reefs are losing the capacity to sustain their biological functions. In addition to other well-known stressors, such as climatic change and overfishing, plastic pollution is an emerging threat to coral reefs, spreading throughout reef food webs, and increasing disease transmission and structural damage to reef organisms. Although recognized as a global concern, the distribution and quantity of plastics trapped in the world's coral reefs remains uncertain.