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Microalgae colonization and trace element accumulation on the plastisphere of marine plastic debris in Monastir Bay (Eastern Tunisia)
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Researchers characterized epiplastic microalgal communities and trace metal accumulation on plastic debris in Monastir Bay, Tunisia, finding that potentially harmful algae — including toxin-associated diatoms and cyanobacteria — were more abundant on plastic surfaces than in surrounding water, and that the plastisphere concentrated heavy metals like Pb and Cu at far higher levels than adjacent sediments.
In this study, we examined the toxicity potential of the epiplastic microalgal community that developed on low-density polyethylene (LD-PE) plastic debris found in two distinct regions of the Monastir Bay (Tunisia): the coast exposed to anthropogenic discharges and the open sea in front of the Kuriat Islands. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) accumulated in sediments and plastisphere were compared in order to determine their toxicity potential to biological life. The collected plastispheres were predominantly composed of cyanobacteria, chlorophytes, and diatoms. Diatoms display a relatively high diversity (25 species). At all stations, potentially harmful microalgae (PHM) were more abundant in the plastisphere than in seawater and the coastal zone seems to harbour increased number of potentially harmful cyanobacteria within the plastisphere. At the offshore station S1, the PHM community was dominated by the potentially harmful diatoms belonging to the genus Pseudo-nitzschia. Phormidium sp. was the main potentially harmful cyanobacterium identified in the plastisphere of S1. PTEs concentration in the plastisphere was higher than in sediment and ranking with very high contamination factors at all sites according to the sequence Pb > Cu > Cd > Ni > Zn. The highest accumulation of PTEs in the plastisphere was recorded near harbors and industrial zones with important human interference. This work shows that plastisphere can be a threat to vulnerable species not only because it can contain PHM but also because it can accumulate PTEs.
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Microalgae colonization and trace element accumulation on the plastisphere of marine plastic debris in Monastir Bay (Eastern Tunisia)
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Researchers examined the plastisphere microalgal community colonizing low-density polyethylene debris in Monastir Bay, Tunisia, finding cyanobacteria dominated, with chlorophytes and diatoms also present. They also measured trace element accumulation on the plastic surfaces, highlighting plastic debris as a distinct ecological niche for microalgal communities.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.