Article
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Tier 2
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Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence.
Marine & Wildlife
Policy & Risk
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The biogeography of the Plastisphere: implications for policy
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment2015
387 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 45
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Erik Zettler,
G. Proskurowski,
Erik Zettler,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Erik Zettler,
Erik Zettler,
G. Proskurowski,
Erik Zettler,
Tracy J. Mincer,
Tracy J. Mincer,
G. Proskurowski,
G. Proskurowski,
G. Proskurowski,
G. Proskurowski,
G. Proskurowski,
G. Proskurowski,
Beth Slikas,
G. Proskurowski,
G. Proskurowski,
Erik Zettler,
Erik Zettler,
Erik Zettler,
Erik Zettler,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Tracy J. Mincer,
Tracy J. Mincer,
Erik Zettler,
Tracy J. Mincer,
Erik Zettler,
Tracy J. Mincer,
Erik Zettler,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Erik Zettler,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Gregory D Boyd,
Gregory D Boyd,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Tracy J. Mincer,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Erik Zettler,
G. Proskurowski,
Donald W. Melvin,
Donald W. Melvin,
G. Proskurowski,
Clare E. Morrall,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Erik Zettler,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Erik Zettler,
Tracy J. Mincer,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Erik Zettler,
Tracy J. Mincer,
G. Proskurowski,
Clare E. Morrall,
G. Proskurowski,
Tracy J. Mincer,
Tracy J. Mincer,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
G. Proskurowski,
Tracy J. Mincer,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
G. Proskurowski,
G. Proskurowski,
G. Proskurowski,
Tracy J. Mincer,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Tracy J. Mincer,
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Linda Amaral‐Zettler
Summary
This review examined the biogeography of the "plastisphere" — the communities of microorganisms living on floating plastic debris — and discussed its implications for marine policy. Because plastic surfaces carry unique, potentially invasive microbial communities across ocean basins, the authors argue that plastic pollution represents a vector for biological invasions with policy significance.
Study Type
Environmental
Microplastics (particles less than 5 mm) numerically dominate marine debris and occur from coastal waters to mid‐ocean gyres, where surface circulation concentrates them. Given the prevalence of plastic marine debris (PMD) and the rise in plastic production, the impacts of plastic on marine ecosystems will likely increase. Microscopic life (the “Plastisphere”) thrives on these tiny floating “islands” of debris and can be transported long distances. Using next‐generation DNA sequencing, we characterized bacterial communities from water and plastic samples from the North Pacific and North Atlantic subtropical gyres to determine whether the composition of different Plastisphere communities reflects their biogeographic origins. We found that these communities differed between ocean basins – and to a lesser extent between polymer types – and displayed latitudinal gradients in species richness. Our research reveals some of the impacts of microplastics on marine biodiversity, demonstrates that the effects and fate of PMD may vary considerably in different parts of the global ocean, and suggests that PMD mitigation will require regional management efforts.