coastal-pollution
Coastal pollution encompasses the introduction of contaminants such as heavy metals, hydrocarbons, plastics, and excess nutrients into nearshore marine and estuarine environments through industrial discharge, urban runoff, and agricultural inputs. For plant science, understanding how coastal vegetation responds to and accumulates these pollutants is critical, as intertidal and estuarine plants serve as both sentinels of ecosystem health and potential agents of phytoremediation. Research in this area examines how pollutant stress affects plant physiology, growth, and survival, informing conservation strategies for vulnerable coastal ecosystems.
PubMed · 2026-04-01
Mangrove forests accumulate and break down antibiotic pollution, but a large analysis found their contamination levels are similar to nearby mudflats — suggesting these ecosystems are under more stress than previously assumed. The review calls for tighter pollution controls and more research into how multiple contaminants interact in these coastal forests.
Meta-analysis found no significant difference in antibiotic concentrations between mangrove forests and adjacent intertidal mudflats, suggesting accumulation and degradation processes are closely balanced rather than mangroves acting as net filters.
Sediment properties such as texture and organic matter content are the primary drivers of antibiotic buildup, while bacterial groups like Proteobacteria and Achromobacter are key to breaking antibiotics down — but their efficiency is reduced by salinity, temperature, heavy metals, and microplastics.
Antibiotic contamination disrupts carbon and nitrogen cycling and water purification in mangroves, and promotes the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), creating cascading ecological risks throughout the ecosystem.
