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Rhizaria are a diverse group of unicellular protists characterized by their threadlike cytoplasmic extensions known as pseudopodia. These structures aid in both locomotion and feeding, giving Rhizaria an amoeboid appearance. Their amoeboid morphology once led to taxonomic confusion, but molecular phylogenetics has clarified their evolutionary placement and emphasized their shared use of pseudopodia despite divergent lineages.This clade comprises diverse lineages such as Chlorarachniophyta,...
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Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations
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Plastisphere assemblages differ from the surrounding bacterial communities in transitional coastal environments.

José Marques1, Aitana Ares2, Joana Costa2

  • 1University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal.

The Science of the Total Environment
|January 28, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Plastic debris in coastal waters harbors unique bacteria, including pathogens and wastewater-associated microbes. This "Plastisphere" highlights concerns about plastics spreading these microbes in marine and estuarine environments.

Keywords:
Bacterial communitiesEstuaryMicroplasticsPlastic pollutionSandy beaches

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Microbiology
  • Ecotoxicology

Background:

  • Marine plastic pollution is a global issue, creating a novel habitat known as the "Plastisphere" for microbial colonization.
  • Transitional coastal ecosystems like estuaries and beaches are understudied regarding plastic-associated microbial communities and their ecological risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the bacterial communities colonizing plastic debris in transitional coastal ecosystems.
  • To compare microbial communities on plastics with those in surrounding water and sediment.
  • To identify potential ecological risks associated with the Plastisphere in these environments.

Main Methods:

  • Sampling of plastic particles, water, and sediment from the Mondego estuary and adjacent sandy beaches.
  • Characterization of plastic particles (type, color, size, polymer composition via FTIR-ATR/μ-FTIR).
  • DNA extraction and 16S rRNA amplicon high-throughput sequencing to profile bacterial communities.

Main Results:

  • Plastics of various sizes (micro/mesoplastics), shapes (fragments, fibers), colors, and polymer types were found.
  • No significant differences in bacterial alpha-diversity between plastics and surrounding environments were detected.
  • Unique bacterial groups, including pathogens (e.g., Lactococcus, Staphylococcus) and wastewater-associated bacteria (Firmicutes), were identified on plastics.

Conclusions:

  • Plastics act as vectors for the transmission and spread of potentially harmful bacteria in transitional coastal ecosystems.
  • The findings suggest that marine plastics entering estuaries contribute significantly to the dynamics of plastics and their microbial communities.
  • Further research is needed to fully understand the ecological implications of the Plastisphere in these sensitive habitats.