We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Short‐term plastisphere colonization dynamics across six plastic types
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied the short-term colonization dynamics of microbial communities (plastisphere) forming on six plastic polymer types submerged in marine waters in South Australia, finding polymer-type-specific differences in prokaryotic community composition over four weeks.
Marine plastic pollution is a major concern worldwide, but the understanding of plastisphere dynamics remains limited in the southern hemisphere. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a study in South Australia to investigate the prokaryotic community of the plastisphere and its temporal changes over 4 weeks. We submerged six plastic types (i.e., High-Density Polyethylene [HDPE], Polyvinyl chloride [PVC], Low-Density Polyethylene [LDPE], Polypropylene [PP], Polystyrene [PS] and the understudied textile, polyester [PET]) and wood in seawater and sampled them weekly to characterize the prokaryotic community using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. Our results showed that the plastisphere composition shifted significantly over short time scales (i.e., 4 weeks), and each plastic type had distinct groups of unique genera. In particular, the PVC plastisphere was dominated by Cellvibrionaceae taxa, distinguishing it from other plastics. Additionally, the textile polyester, which is rarely studied in plastisphere research, supported the growth of a unique group of 25 prokaryotic genera (which included the potential pathogenic Legionella genus). Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the colonization dynamics of the plastisphere over short time scales and contributes to narrowing the research gap on the southern hemisphere plastisphere.
More Papers Like This
The structure and assembly mechanisms of plastisphere microbial community in natural marine environment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how microbial communities colonize different types of microplastic surfaces in natural marine environments over an eight-week period. They found that the composition of these plastic-associated microbial communities, known as the plastisphere, was shaped more by environmental conditions and time than by the specific type of plastic. The study provides new understanding of the ecological processes governing how microorganisms assemble on ocean plastic debris.
The composition of bacterial communities associated with plastic biofilms differs between different polymers and stages of biofilm succession
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tracked bacterial community development on five different plastic types submerged in coastal waters over two months. They found that bacterial community composition varied by both plastic type and stage of colonization, with distinct early and late succession patterns. The study provides evidence that different plastics may host different microbial communities, which has implications for understanding how plastic pollution influences marine microbial ecology.
Differentiation of bacterial communities on five common plastics after six days of exposure to Caribbean coastal waters
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that within just six days of entering Caribbean coastal waters, different plastic polymers — including polystyrene, polyethylene, and nylon — develop distinct microbial communities on their surfaces, with plastic-degrading bacteria rapidly increasing in abundance. This "plastisphere" research shows that the type of plastic influences which microbes colonize it, which could affect both plastic breakdown rates and the spread of microbes in ocean environments.
Diversity and succession of microbial communities on typical microplastics in Xincun Bay, a long-term mariculture tropical lagoon
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tracked microbial community succession on polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene microplastics over 60 days in a tropical mariculture lagoon, finding that plastisphere bacterial diversity exceeded that of surrounding seawater and that community structure shifted significantly over time.
Temporal succession of marine microbes drives plastisphere community convergence in subtropical coastal waters
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists tracked how microbial communities develop on four common plastic types submerged in subtropical coastal waters over 42 days. They found that the passage of time was a bigger driver of community composition than the type of plastic, with bacterial communities on different plastics becoming more similar as biofilms matured. However, these plastic-associated communities remained distinct from those floating freely in the water, suggesting plastics create unique microbial habitats in marine environments.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.