Researchers have found pollutants from burning fossil fuels mixed in Mediterranean coral reefs for the first time. Coral reefs are a natural archive commonly used in studies of ancient climate because of their measurable growth rates.
The discovery of pollutants found in coral skeletons spans decades and paints a clear picture of the extent of human impact on the environment. The researchers collected coral samples from several sites along a reef off the coast of Castelo, Spain, and studied and monitored coral species there for two decades. The team found that the reefs showed a significant increase in carbon pollutants between approximately 1969 and 1992.