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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to A new look at the potential role of marine plastic debris as a global vector of toxic benthic algae
ClearToxic plastisphere: How the characteristics of plastic particles can affect colonization of harmful microalgae and adsorption of phycotoxins
Researchers found that microplastic particles in water can serve as surfaces for harmful algae to grow on and for algae-produced toxins to stick to. Smaller and sun-aged microplastic particles absorbed more toxins than larger or newer ones, meaning the most common microplastics in the environment may carry the greatest risk. This matters for human health because contaminated microplastics could transfer harmful algal toxins into seafood and drinking water.
Plastic as a Vector of Dispersion for Marine Species With Invasive Potential. A Review
This review assessed floating plastic debris as a vector for marine alien species, synthesizing evidence on how plastic properties, surface conditioning, and oceanographic factors influence which species colonize and are transported, and evaluating the invasion risk posed by plastisphere communities.
Dynamics and implications of biofilm formation and community succession on floating marine plastic debris
Researchers examined how biofilms form on plastic debris in aquatic environments and how the resulting microbial communities evolve over time, finding that the plastisphere hosts distinct microbial assemblages including potential pathogens. The study has implications for understanding plastic debris as a vector for microbial dispersal.
Spatiotemporal variations of epimicroplastic harmful algae and their driving factors in four semi-enclosed bays of China
Researchers characterized harmful algae colonizing microplastic surfaces (epimicroplastic harmful algae) in four semi-enclosed Chinese bays across seasons and locations, analyzing drivers of their spatiotemporal variation. They found that microplastic type, surface area, and nutrient levels strongly influenced which harmful algal species colonized plastic debris and where blooms could be triggered.
Harmful algae and pathogens on plastics in three mediterranean coastal lagoons
Researchers studied microplastics and macroplastic debris in three French Mediterranean coastal lagoons and found high-diversity biofilm communities including harmful algae and bacterial pathogens colonizing plastic surfaces, demonstrating that plastics can act as vectors for harmful microorganisms in sensitive coastal ecosystems.
A global inventory of small floating plastic debris
Researchers compiled a global inventory of small floating plastic debris from ocean surface sampling expeditions, estimating the total abundance and mass of floating microplastics and identifying the major oceanic accumulation zones.
Microbial carrying capacity and carbon biomass of plastic marine debris
Researchers estimated the microbial carrying capacity and carbon biomass of floating marine plastic debris, finding that the collective surface area of ocean plastic supports a substantial microbial community whose carbon biomass, while modest relative to total ocean microbial carbon, represents a novel and persistent ecological niche with potential biogeochemical significance.
Marine plastic pollution as a vector for non-native species transport
This Spanish thesis reviewed the evidence that floating plastic debris acts as a vehicle for transporting non-native marine species to new regions, potentially facilitating biological invasions. Plastic debris in the ocean can carry entire communities of organisms over long distances, with significant ecological consequences.
On the interaction of buoyant plastic debris and sea-surface layer organisms
Researchers reviewed how buoyant plastic debris in the ocean surface layer interacts with sea-surface organisms, finding that plastics provide surfaces for diverse marine life to colonize while simultaneously altering the behavior, buoyancy, and community structure of keystone organisms. These disruptions to surface ecosystem indicators could have cascading effects on marine biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Uncovering the potential effect of microplastics on Alexandrium pacificum: From the perspective of cyst formation and toxin production
Microplastics were found to influence the growth and toxin production of Alexandrium (a harmful algal bloom species), with effects depending on plastic type and concentration. This raises concerns that microplastic pollution could alter the frequency or severity of harmful algal blooms in coastal waters.
Relative Influence of Plastic Debris Size and Shape, Chemical Composition and Phytoplankton-Bacteria Interactions in Driving Seawater Plastisphere Abundance, Diversity and Activity
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.
Plankton assemblages from microplastics of tropical coastal environments reveal high diversity and evidence of toxic species
Microplastic particles collected from beach sediments in the Johor and Singapore Straits harbored highly diverse plankton communities — including several documented harmful algal bloom species — detectable only through DNA sequencing rather than microscopy alone. This demonstrates that microplastics serve as rafts transporting potentially toxic microorganisms across coastal ecosystems, adding a biological dimension to the pollution risk they pose.
Ostreopsis cf. ovata Bloom in Currais, Brazil: Phylogeny, Toxin Profile and Contamination of Mussels and Marine Plastic Litter
Researchers documented an Ostreopsis cf. ovata harmful algal bloom in Brazil and found that marine plastic litter collected during the bloom was contaminated with the algae and their toxins, suggesting that plastics can serve as vectors for toxic microalgae. The study raises concerns about how floating plastics could spread harmful algal species and their toxins across ocean regions.
Algal bloom-mediated microplastic dispersion in coastal areas of West Africa: Integrated insights and risk projections from molecular models and remote-sensed evaluations
This study used satellite data and molecular models to examine how algal blooms along the West African coast can trap and transport microplastics. The models predict that certain types of microplastics, particularly polycarbonate, bind strongly to algal proteins, meaning blooms could concentrate plastics and increase exposure risks for marine life. Since algal blooms are becoming more frequent due to climate change, this pathway could amplify how microplastics move through ocean food chains and ultimately reach people through seafood.
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.
Environmental implications of microplastic pollution in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean
Researchers assessed microplastic concentrations, distribution, and characteristics across the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, finding widespread contamination with significant spatial variation and identifying environmental implications for marine ecosystems in this understudied region.
Nanoplastics Stimulate Colony Formation and Bloom in Phaeocystis globosa
Indoor and outdoor mesocosm experiments demonstrated that nanoplastics significantly stimulated colony formation and bloom development in the harmful alga Phaeocystis globosa, increasing cell density and colonial diameter, with potential implications for marine ecosystem disruption.
The biogeography of the Plastisphere: implications for policy
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.
Plastic-associated harmful phytoplankton assemblages in coastal and off-shore habitats of the Mediterranean Sea
Researchers used qPCR to detect harmful algal bloom species and measure biotoxin concentrations on micro and macroplastic samples collected from coastal and offshore Mediterranean habitats, finding that all plastic samples harbored dinoflagellate and diatom communities including toxin-producing Alexandrium and Pseudo-nitzschia species, with paralytic shellfish toxin levels of 10 to 100 nanograms per square centimeter on plastic surfaces.
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.