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Nanoplastics Stimulate Colony Formation and Bloom in Phaeocystis globosa
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Indoor and outdoor mesocosm experiments demonstrated that nanoplastics significantly stimulated colony formation and bloom development in the harmful alga Phaeocystis globosa, increasing cell density and colonial diameter, with potential implications for marine ecosystem disruption.
The genus Phaeocystis is a globally distributed harmful alga that adversely impacts marine ecosystems. Nanoplastics (NPs) are ubiquitous in marine environments and often co-occur with Phaeocystis blooms. However, the effect of NPs on the colony formation and bloom dynamics of Phaeocystis remains poorly understood. Here, we conducted both indoor and outdoor mesocosm experiments to demonstrate that NPs significantly increased the total cell density, colonial diameter, and colonial density of P. globosa. These enhancements in colonial density and diameter were primarily driven by elevated levels of extracellular polysaccharides as well as key substrates involved in polysaccharide synthesis, including glucose 1-phosphate, adenosine diphosphate glucose, and uridine diphosphate glucose. Concurrently, the accumulation of extracellular polysaccharides was accompanied by the significant upregulation of ten genes associated with N-glycan synthesis. Furthermore, assuming no other environmental changes, our projections indicated that if 0.1% of microplastics (MPs) degrade into NPs, colonial cell densities of Phaeocystis could increase by more than 5% at 242 global locations, with potential maxima approaching 80%. These findings indicate that the ongoing rise in MPs pollution could exacerbate Phaeocystis blooms by enhancing colony formation, posing substantial risks to marine ecosystems.
More Papers Like This
NanoplasticsStimulate Colony Formation and Bloomin Phaeocystis globosa
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated the effects of nanoplastics on the colony formation and bloom dynamics of the harmful marine alga Phaeocystis globosa through indoor and outdoor mesocosm experiments, finding that nanoplastics significantly increased total cell density, colonial diameter, and colonial density. Elevated extracellular polysaccharides and enhanced polysaccharide synthesis substrates were identified as the primary mechanisms driving nanoplastic-stimulated colony growth, with implications for harmful algal bloom dynamics in nanoplastic-contaminated marine environments.
NanoplasticsStimulate Colony Formation and Bloomin Phaeocystis globosa
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted indoor and outdoor mesocosm experiments and found that nanoplastics significantly increased total cell density, colonial diameter, and colonial density of the harmful alga Phaeocystis globosa, with these effects driven by elevated extracellular polysaccharides and key substrates in polysaccharide synthesis including glucose 1-phosphate and adenosine diphosphate glucose. The study demonstrates that nanoplastics ubiquitous in marine environments can stimulate colony formation and potentially promote harmful algal blooms in marine ecosystems.
Nanoplastic exposure inhibits growth, photosynthetic pigment synthesis and oxidative enzymes in microalgae: A new threat to primary producers in aquatic environment
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) can seriously harm microalgae, the tiny plants that form the base of the ocean's food chain, by slowing their growth by up to 42%, reducing their ability to photosynthesize, and triggering stress damage inside their cells. Since these algae are eaten by small creatures that are eaten by bigger fish (eventually including the seafood we eat), this damage could ripple up the food chain and disrupt entire aquatic ecosystems. While this study looked at algae rather than humans directly, it adds to growing evidence that nanoplastic pollution, now found
Polystyrene nanoplastics cause growth inhibition, morphological damage and physiological disturbance in the marine microalga Platymonas helgolandica
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Researchers exposed marine green microalgae to polystyrene nanoplastics and found significant growth inhibition, increased membrane permeability, disrupted photosynthesis, and visible morphological damage — including surface fragmentation and cellular rupture — at concentrations as low as 200 µg/L.
The Effecting Mechanisms of 100 nm Sized Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Typical Coastal Alexandrium tamarense
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Researchers examined the effects of 100-nanometer polystyrene nanoplastics on the harmful algal bloom species Alexandrium tamarense. They found that nanoplastic exposure inhibited algal growth and photosynthesis while increasing production of paralytic shellfish toxins and reactive oxygen species. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in coastal waters could worsen harmful algal bloom impacts by stressing toxin-producing algal species.
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