We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Plankton assemblages from microplastics of tropical coastal environments reveal high diversity and evidence of toxic species
Summary
Microplastic particles collected from beach sediments in the Johor and Singapore Straits harbored highly diverse plankton communities — including several documented harmful algal bloom species — detectable only through DNA sequencing rather than microscopy alone. This demonstrates that microplastics serve as rafts transporting potentially toxic microorganisms across coastal ecosystems, adding a biological dimension to the pollution risk they pose.
Microplastics are a major constituent of plastic waste and are of an increasing global concern. Although microplastics are prevalent in marine ecosystems, the characterisation of plankton communities has been largely neglected in this aspect, especially in tropical ecosystems. To better understand the role of microplastics as a carrier of harmful plankton in marine ecosystems, epiplastic plankton communities in tropical marine ecosystems were studied from beach sediments along the Johor and Singapore Straits. Complementary analysis of microscopy and high throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA (V3-V4) and 18S (V4) rRNA regions provided evidence that the plastisphere provided an appropriate environment to host a wide range of planktonic organisms. An average of 781 OTUs were identified across the three sampling sites. The structures of plankton communities were distinct across the sampling sites and were generally dominated by dinoflagellates, fungi and chlorophytes. We demonstrate that marine microplastics serve as microhabitats that are a host to harmful phytoplankton species, including viable resting cysts of dinoflagellates. Furthermore, plastics isolated from the location with the greatest anthropogenic influence demonstrated the greatest plankton diversity. This study presents evidence of diverse toxic plankton species present on the plastisphere and highlights its importance as a vector of the transport of harmful opportunistic species in relation to anthropogenic influence, in the marine environment.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Profiles of bacterial assemblages from microplastics of tropical coastal environments
Microplastic pieces collected from tropical coastal environments in Malaysia were found to host distinct bacterial communities that differed from surrounding seawater, including potential pathogens and plastic-degrading bacteria. The study contributes to understanding the plastisphere in tropical regions, where warm temperatures may accelerate both microbial colonization and plastic degradation.
Microplastic-associated bacterial assemblages in the intertidal zone of the Yangtze Estuary
Researchers used high-throughput DNA sequencing to profile bacterial communities colonizing microplastics in the intertidal zone of China's Yangtze Estuary, finding that plastisphere community composition reflected the particles' sedimentary versus aquatic origins and included keystone taxa adapted to surface-colonization as well as potential pathogens hitchhiking on plastic surfaces.
Substrate-driven microbial diversity and functional potential of plastisphere biofilms in a dynamic coastal ecosystem of northeastern Taiwan
Researchers used full-length 16S rRNA sequencing to compare microbial communities on floating microplastics, natural wood debris, and surface seawater from ten coastal sites in Taiwan, finding that microplastics harbor unique and highly diverse microbial assemblages distinct from those on natural surfaces.
Plastic-associated harmful phytoplankton assemblages in coastal and off-shore habitats of the Mediterranean Sea
Researchers used qPCR to detect harmful algal bloom species and measure biotoxin concentrations on micro and macroplastic samples collected from coastal and offshore Mediterranean habitats, finding that all plastic samples harbored dinoflagellate and diatom communities including toxin-producing Alexandrium and Pseudo-nitzschia species, with paralytic shellfish toxin levels of 10 to 100 nanograms per square centimeter on plastic surfaces.
Bacterial pathogen assemblages on microplastic biofilms in coastal waters
Researchers incubated different types of microplastics in coastal waters for 21 days and analyzed the bacterial communities that colonized their surfaces. They found that while overall pathogen abundance was low, microplastic biofilms hosted a diverse array of potentially harmful bacteria whose composition varied by polymer type and water location. The study suggests that microplastics in coastal waters can serve as floating platforms for disease-causing microorganisms.