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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Environmental Sources Marine & Wildlife Sign in to save

The project MICROBEEF: MICROplastic effects on marine BEnthic Ecosystems Functioning. Preliminary results and call for network.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) 2024
Alessandro Cau, Vincenzo Donnarumma, Elena Tamburini, Elena Tamburini, Giuseppe Suaria, Stefano Aliani, Andrea Paluselli, Antonio Pusceddu

Summary

Researchers presented preliminary results from the MICROBEEF project investigating microplastic effects on marine benthic ecosystem functioning, focusing on how microplastic fragments and microfibers accumulated in marine sediments may impair sediment ecology and biogeochemical processes. The project also called for network collaboration to expand research on how plastic debris interacts with benthic communities.

Aquatic ecosystems are globally polluted with plastic waste, which is now considered one of the greatest environmental challenges of the 21st century. Plastic debris is dispersed across all environmental matrixes as microplastics (MP) in the form of fragments and microfibers (MF) and marine sediments are widely recognized as the ultimate accumulation zone within marine environment. Yet, it is not clear if accumulated particles could interact with surrounding sediments, eventually impairing marine benthic ecosystems functioning. With these premises, the project MICROBEEF aims to understand through manipulative experiments the bio-ecological effects of environmentally relevant concentrations ( Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/558996/document

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