Ten contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) have been found in one of the Red Sea’s most abundant corals, Pocillopora favosa, in a survey of coral reefs along the central Red Sea coast. This highlights how the expansion of human activities and development along the world’s coastlines is having significant effects on coastal and marine environments, not least the increase in effluent discharge into coastal waters.

“CECs are chemicals that originate from human activities, such as pharmaceuticals, steroid hormones, cosmetics and pesticides. The release of most CECs into the environment is not regulated or continuously monitored,” says Mariana Rodrigues, a Ph.D. student who worked on the project under the supervision of Susana Carvalho. “Corals are critical to reef biodiversity, so it is vital to determine whether they are exposed to or affected by these pollutants.”

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