Plastisphere in an Antarctic environment: A microcosm approach
Pere Monràs-Riera1, Conxita Avila2, Elisenda Ballesté3
1Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Marine Pollution Bulletin
|September 18, 2024
Summary
Microplastics rapidly form a microbial community, the plastisphere, in Antarctic waters. Time influenced microbial changes more than plastic type, revealing unique environmental factors at play.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Microbiology
- Marine Biology
Background:
- Microplastics are pervasive environmental contaminants, even in remote polar regions.
- Marine microorganisms rapidly colonize microplastics, forming a biofilm known as the plastisphere.
- Understanding plastisphere dynamics in Antarctic waters is crucial due to unique environmental conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate microplastic colonization and plastisphere development in the Antarctic marine environment.
- To analyze the influence of different plastic polymer types and incubation time on microbial community structure.
- To characterize the bacterial composition of the Antarctic plastisphere.
Main Methods:
- Microcosm experiment using polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene microplastics incubated for 33 days in Antarctica.
- Analysis of plastic colonization and plastisphere dynamics using scanning electron microscopy, flow cytometry, bacterial cultivation, qPCR, and 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding.
- Investigated microbial community shifts over time and across different plastic types.
Main Results:
- Rapid and consistent colonization of microplastics by microorganisms was observed.
- Biomass formation was slower compared to other oceans, suggesting unique Antarctic environmental constraints.
- Microbial community composition was primarily influenced by incubation time, with a notable transition between early and late biofilm stages (days 12-19).
- Plastic polymer type had minimal impact on the developing biofilm communities.
- The bacterial plastisphere composition was characterized, including the identification of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria.
Conclusions:
- The Antarctic plastisphere forms rapidly, but with distinct characteristics influenced by local environmental conditions.
- Incubation time is a key driver of microbial community succession on microplastics in this region.
- The presence of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in the Antarctic plastisphere warrants further investigation regarding their ecological role.
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