This study is the first to compare the effects of
vegetable- and mineral-derived lubricants on corals and
initially indicated that the VDL was more toxic to coral
gametes and adult branchlets of common scleractinian
corals than the MDL. In response to this result, the
manufacturer of the lubricants formulated a newVD L
that does not include coumarin, the additive suspected
of causing toxicity. Re-testing of the modified VDL
indicated that this formulation was significantly less
toxic to coral branchlets than either the original VDL or
the MDL.