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Oceanic regions shape the composition of the Antarctic plastisphere
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Using eDNA metabarcoding, researchers conducted a comprehensive molecular survey of microbial communities on plastics around the Antarctic Peninsula, finding diverse prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities dominated by Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota, diatoms, fungi, and arthropods. Geographic location significantly shaped community composition, while polymer type and plastic shape had little effect on species richness.
Antarctica, once considered pristine, is increasingly threatened by plastic pollution, with debris found in its waters, sediments, sea ice, and biota. Here, we provide a comprehensive molecular survey of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic diversity on plastics around the Antarctic Peninsula, addressing a gap in existing research. Using eDNA metabarcoding, we identified diverse communities, with Pseudomonadota and Bacteroidota dominating prokaryotic communities, while Gyrista (mostly diatoms), Fungi and Arthropods were prevalent among eukaryotes. Geographic location significantly influenced community composition, with differences between the Bransfield Strait and the Gerlache Strait/Bellingshausen Sea. Polymer type and plastic shape did not impact species richness or community structure. These findings offer new insights into the complexity of the Antarctic plastisphere, highlighting potential impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and the broader implications of marine plastic pollution.
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Diverse groups of fungi are associated with plastics in the surface waters of the Western South Atlantic and the Antarctic Peninsula
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DNA metabarcoding of fungi on marine plastic debris from the Western South Atlantic and Antarctic Peninsula revealed 64 orders across eight fungal phyla, including many taxa not previously described on plastic surfaces. The study is the first to characterize the plastic-associated fungal communities of the Southern Hemisphere, highlighting the unknown ecological roles of plastic-colonizing fungi.
Analysis of 16S rRNA amplicon data illuminates the major role of environment in determining the marine plastisphere microbial communities
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Researchers analysed 16S rRNA amplicon data from marine plastisphere communities, finding that environmental factors play the dominant role in determining the microbial communities that colonise microplastic surfaces in marine ecosystems.
Analysis of 16S rRNA amplicon data illuminates the major role of environment in determining the marine plastisphere microbial communities
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By reanalyzing publicly available microbiome data from marine microplastics collected at multiple ocean locations, this study found that the surrounding water environment shapes the community of microbes living on plastic surfaces (the plastisphere) more strongly than the type of plastic polymer does. While both location and polymer type matter, once environmental differences were accounted for, polymer type alone had no statistically significant effect on microbial diversity. This is important because microplastics can carry and transport harmful microbes across vast ocean distances, and understanding what controls those communities helps assess the ecological risk.
Plastisphere colonization in Antarctica: a microcosmos approach
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Researchers conducted a 33-day microcosm experiment incubating polypropylene, polyester, polystyrene, and quartz fragments in Antarctic seawater and used SEM, flow cytometry, qPCR, and metagenomics to characterize bacterial plastisphere colonization, finding that microbial community composition was driven primarily by incubation time rather than polymer type, with Oleispira potentially involved in hydrocarbon degradation.
Relative Influence of Plastic Debris Size and Shape, Chemical Composition and Phytoplankton-Bacteria Interactions in Driving Seawater Plastisphere Abundance, Diversity and Activity
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This study evaluated the relative influence of plastic debris size, shape, chemical composition, and environmental conditions on the microbial communities colonizing ocean plastics (the plastisphere). Results showed that multiple plastic properties and environmental factors jointly shape which microorganisms colonize plastic surfaces in the marine environment.
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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.