Taxonomy and Systematics Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Big Blue Conservation, Big Blue Dive Resort, Koh Tao 84360, Thailand.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2018 Oct;135:1107-1116. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.08.033. Epub 2018 Aug 28.
Most lost fishing gear is made of non-biodegradable plastics that may sink to the sea floor or drift around in currents. It may remain unnoticed until it shows up on coral reefs, beaches and in other coastal habitats. Stony corals have fragile skeletons and soft tissues that can easily become damaged when they get in contact with lost fishing gear. During a dive survey around Koh Tao, a small island in the Gulf of Thailand, the impact of lost fishing gear (nets, ropes, cages, lines) was studied on corals representing six different growth forms: branching, encrusting, foliaceous, free-living, laminar, and massive. Most gear (>95%) contained plastic. Besides absence of damage (ND), three categories of coral damage were assessed: fresh tissue loss (FTL), tissue loss with algal growth (TLAG), and fragmentation (FR). The position of the corals in relation to the fishing gear was recorded as either growing underneath (Un) or on top (On), whereas corals adjacent to the gear (Ad) were used as controls. Nets formed the dominant type of lost gear, followed by ropes, lines and cages, respectively. Branching corals were most commonly found in contact with the gear and also around it. Tubastraea micranthus was the most commonly encountered coral species, either Un, On, or Ad. Corals underneath gear showed most damage, which predominantly consisted of tissue loss. Fragmentation was less common than expected, which may be related to the low fragility of T. micranthus as dominant branching species. Even if nets serve as substrate for corals, it is recommended to remove them from reefs, where they form a major component of the plastic pollution and cause damage to corals and other reef organisms.
大多数丢失的渔具是由不可生物降解的塑料制成的，它们可能沉入海底或随海流漂流。这些渔具可能一直未被注意，直到它们出现在珊瑚礁、海滩和其他沿海栖息地。石珊瑚的骨骼脆弱，软组织容易受损，一旦与丢失的渔具接触，就很容易受到损伤。在泰国湾的一个小岛龟岛周围进行潜水调查时，研究了六种不同生长形式的珊瑚（分枝状、丛生状、叶片状、自由生活、层状和块状）上丢失渔具（网、绳索、笼子、线）的影响。大多数渔具（>95%）都含有塑料。除了无损伤（ND）外，还评估了珊瑚损伤的三个类别：新鲜组织损失（FTL）、组织损失伴藻类生长（TLAG）和碎片（FR）。珊瑚相对于渔具的位置记录为生长在下方（Un）或上方（On），而靠近渔具的珊瑚（Ad）则作为对照。网是丢失渔具的主要类型，其次是绳索、线和笼子。分枝状珊瑚最常与渔具接触，也最常出现在其周围。筒星螅是最常见的珊瑚物种，无论是在下方、上方还是靠近渔具的位置都有分布。位于渔具下方的珊瑚受到的损伤最大，主要表现为组织损失。与预期相比，碎片的情况较少，这可能与 T. micranthus 作为主要分枝物种的低脆弱性有关。即使网可以作为珊瑚的基质，也建议将其从珊瑚礁上移除，因为它们是塑料污染的主要组成部分，并会对珊瑚和其他珊瑚礁生物造成损害。
