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Fouling assemblage of benthic plastic debris collected from Mersin Bay, NE Levantine coast of Turkey
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Researchers collected and analyzed plastic debris and associated biofouling communities from Mersin Bay in the eastern Mediterranean, identifying nine plastic polymer types and 17 fouling species across six phyla, demonstrating that plastic debris in this heavily polluted region supports diverse biological communities comparable to natural hard substrates.
The Mediterranean is an ecosystem that faces more and more microplastic pollution every day. This causes the whole of the Mediterranean to face the negative effects of plastic pollution. This study examines the state of plastic debris and fouling organisms found on it in one of the areas most affected by plastic pollution, Mersin Bay. As a result, a total of 3.88kg plastic (mean=0,97kg; n=120; 2670item/km; 86,3kg/km) was collected and based on the ATR-FTIR analysis, it was determined that this total contained 9 types of plastics. 17 different fouling species belonging to 6 phylum (Annelida, Arthropoda, Bryozoa, Chordata, Cnidaria, Mollusca) 7 class and 11 order were discovered on plastics. Spirobranchus triqueter, Hydroides sp. and Neopycnodonte cochlear were the most abundant species. In the end, the example of Mersin Bay shows that plastic debris as a substrate can contain a very high diversity of life just like natural substrates.
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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.