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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Mesocosm experiments of temperate marine coastal waters: timing of changes in phytoplankton communities and attachment to plastic plates after nutrient addition
ClearImpacts of plastic surface on the periphyton under different nutrient and temperature: A mesocosm experiment
This mesocosm experiment investigated how microplastics affect periphyton (biofilm communities that grow on surfaces in water) under different nutrient levels and temperatures. Microplastics altered periphyton development in ways that could affect oxygen production and the feeding of organisms that graze on biofilm, with potential ripple effects throughout aquatic food webs.
Short‐term plastisphere colonization dynamics across six plastic types
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.
Temporal succession of marine microbes drives plastisphere community convergence in subtropical coastal waters
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.
The structure and assembly mechanisms of plastisphere microbial community in natural marine environment
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.
Effects of biofouled plastics on phytoplankton community assembling and water chemistry: pilot study and implications for freshwater environments
Researchers conducted a pilot laboratory study exposing a five-species freshwater phytoplankton community to pristine and biofouled polypropylene fragments to investigate whether plastic acts as a carrier for algal species dispersal and to assess effects on water biodiversity and chemistry in freshwater environments.
Microbial colonization of microplastics in the Caribbean Sea
Researchers incubated six common plastic polymers in Caribbean waters for six weeks and found that bacterial biofilm communities were not significantly shaped by plastic type or exposure time, but eukaryotic communities (including distinctive diatom assemblages) were influenced by both factors. This suggests that microplastics act as selective habitats for some microbial groups but not others, with implications for understanding how plastics alter ocean microbial ecology.
Time-series incubations in a coastal environment illuminates the importance of early colonizers and the complexity of bacterial biofilm dynamics on marine plastics
Researchers used time-series incubations in a coastal marine environment to track plastisphere biofilm formation on microplastics, finding that early bacterial colonizers play a disproportionate role in shaping community dynamics and that biofilm composition is highly complex, varying with polymer type, incubation time, and surrounding environment.
Diversity and succession of microbial communities on typical microplastics in Xincun Bay, a long-term mariculture tropical lagoon
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.
Microalgae colonization of different microplastic polymers in experimental mesocosms across an environmental gradient
Microalgal colonization of five different microplastic polymer types was monitored in freshwater mesocosms across an environmental gradient, finding that polymer type, surface properties, and environmental conditions all influenced the biomass and community composition of epiplastic microalgal biofilms.
Bacterial colonisation dynamics of household plastics in a coastal environment
This study tracked how quickly and what kinds of bacteria colonized common household plastics (including bottles, bags, and packaging) placed in a coastal estuary environment. Bacteria colonized all plastic types within days, and the communities that formed included potential human pathogens. Plastic-associated bacterial communities in coastal environments could pose public health risks through seafood contamination or contact with polluted water.
Differentiation of bacterial communities on five common plastics after six days of exposure to Caribbean coastal waters
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.
Do weathered microplastics impact the planktonic community? A mesocosm approach in the Baltic Sea
In a large-scale experiment simulating natural Baltic Sea conditions, researchers exposed plankton communities to weathered microplastics at two concentrations for five weeks. At the higher concentration, several groups of tiny organisms including bacteria, algae, and single-celled animals declined in number. Since plankton form the base of the marine food web, reductions in their populations could ripple up through the food chain, ultimately affecting the fish and seafood that humans consume.
The interaction between plastics and microalgae affects community assembly and nutrient availability
Researchers found that plastic debris coated with biological growth (biofilm) — but not clean plastic — altered the community composition of microalgae and changed nutrient levels in the surrounding water. This suggests that plastic particles act as rafts carrying organisms between environments, potentially disrupting aquatic ecosystems in ways that have been largely overlooked.
Microplastics drive community dynamics of periphytic protozoan fauna in marine environments
Researchers exposed marine protozoan communities to varying concentrations of microplastics and tracked how the communities changed over time. They found that higher microplastic concentrations reduced species diversity and shifted community composition toward more pollution-tolerant species. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can reshape the structure of microscopic marine communities, with potential cascading effects up the food web.
Evidence of coupled autotrophy and heterotrophy on plastic biofilms and its influence on surrounding seawater
Researchers measured coupled primary production and heterotrophic bacterial activity on low-density polyethylene microplastic films and surrounding seawater in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea across two contrasting spring seasons, finding that the degree of autotrophy-heterotrophy coupling on plastic biofilms was strongly modulated by ambient nutrient availability and bloom conditions.
Dynamics of fouling of plastic waste fragments by microorganisms in the Gulf of Finland
Researchers studied how quickly microorganism communities (biofilms) develop on plastic waste fragments in the Gulf of Finland. The plasticosphere — the microbial community colonizing plastic surfaces — forms rapidly and has distinct characteristics from biofilms on natural materials, with potential ecological implications for how pollutants are transported in the marine environment.
Use of mesocosm and field studies to assess the effects of nutrient levels on phytoplankton population dynamics in Korean coastal waters
Researchers combined mesocosm experiments with field observations to assess how nutrient levels affect phytoplankton populations in Korean coastal waters. The study found that nutrient enrichment shifted phytoplankton community composition, with implications for understanding how runoff and pollution influence coastal ecosystem dynamics.
Microplastics alter the functioning of marine microbial ecosystems
Researchers used experimental mesocosms to investigate how microplastics affect the structure and functioning of marine microbial ecosystems. They found that microplastics indirectly altered marine productivity by shifting the composition of bacterial and phytoplankton communities. The study provides evidence that microplastic pollution can disrupt fundamental ecological processes in ocean ecosystems beyond effects on individual organisms.
Spatial Environmental Heterogeneity Determines Young Biofilm Assemblages on Microplastics in Baltic Sea Mesocosms
Mesocosm experiments in the Baltic Sea found that spatial environmental heterogeneity - differences in light, nutrients, and water chemistry across microhabitats - was a key driver of the microbial biofilm communities that formed on microplastic surfaces during early colonization. This suggests that local environmental conditions shape the "plastisphere" microbiome as much as the plastic substrate itself.
Biofouling impacts on polyethylene density and sinking in coastal waters: A macro/micro tipping point?
Researchers measured biofouling-induced density changes in polyethylene microplastic particles deployed in coastal waters and found that biofouling caused buoyant particles to sink on timescales of days to weeks, challenging assumptions about surface plastic persistence and potentially explaining the missing plastic paradox.
Plastic habitats: Algal biofilms on photic and aphotic plastics
Researchers tracked algae colonizing plastic surfaces in a freshwater reservoir over six weeks, finding that different plastic types developed distinct algae communities and that plastic surfaces showed early signs of degradation — suggesting that biofouling may accelerate microplastic fragmentation in freshwater systems.
Short-term microplastic effects on marine meiofauna abundance, diversity and community composition
Researchers examined short-term effects of microplastics on marine meiofauna, measuring changes in abundance, species diversity, and community composition after plastic addition, finding dose-dependent disruption to these ecologically important small invertebrates.
Ecological implications beyond the ecotoxicity of plastic debris on marine phytoplankton assemblage structure and functioning
PVC, polystyrene, and polyethylene microplastics and nanoplastics significantly reduced phytoplankton cell density, with polymer type being a key factor; given phytoplankton's role in atmospheric CO2 fixation, plastic pollution could potentially impact the marine carbon pump.
The Levels of Plastic-associated Heterotrophic Bacteria on Three Different Types of Plastics
This study measured how many bacteria colonize PVC, polyethylene, and polypropylene plastic surfaces submerged in seawater over 28 days. Bacterial counts on plastic surfaces were substantially higher than in the surrounding water, showing that microplastics can act as surfaces for bacterial growth and transport in marine environments.