Development of marine biofilm on plastic: ecological features in different seasons, temperatures, and light regimes

Misic, Cristina; Harriague, Anabella Covazzi

doi:10.1007/s10750-019-3934-7

Cited by 31 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Literature review of 66 studies ,,− ,,− ,,− ,,− ,,− ,,− ,− that analyzed the Plastisphere on marine plastic debris. Study design highlights whether the study was conducted in a laboratory or in the field (yellow) and whether the plastic was naturally collected from the sea (collection) or introduced by the researchers and collected either at a single time point or at a series of time points (blue).…”

Section: The Plastisphere: “Just” a Normal Biofilm But On Plastic?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine Plastic Debris: A New Surface for Microbial Colonization

Wright

Erni-Cassola

Zadjelovic

et al. 2020

Environ. Sci. Technol.

333

189

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Plastics become rapidly colonized by microbes when released into marine environments. This microbial communitythe Plastispherehas recently sparked a multitude of scientific inquiries and generated a breadth of knowledge, which we bring together in this review. Besides providing a better understanding of community composition and biofilm development in marine ecosystems, we critically discuss current research on plastic biodegradation and the identification of potentially pathogenic “hitchhikers” in the Plastisphere. The Plastisphere is at the interface between the plastic and its surrounding milieu, and thus drives every interaction that this synthetic material has with its environment, from ecotoxicity and new links in marine food webs to the fate of the plastics in the water column. We conclude that research so far has not shown Plastisphere communities to starkly differ from microbial communities on other inert surfaces, which is particularly true for mature biofilm assemblages. Furthermore, despite progress that has been made in this field, we recognize that it is time to take research on plastic–Plastisphere–environment interactions a step further by identifying present gaps in our knowledge and offering our perspective on key aspects to be addressed by future studies: (I) better physical characterization of marine biofilms, (II) inclusion of relevant controls, (III) study of different successional stages, (IV) use of environmentally relevant concentrations of biofouled microplastics, and (V) prioritization of gaining a mechanistic and functional understanding of Plastisphere communities.

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Section: The Plastisphere: “Just” a Normal Biofilm But On Plastic?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine Plastic Debris: A New Surface for Microbial Colonization

Wright

Erni-Cassola

Zadjelovic

et al. 2020

Environ. Sci. Technol.

333

189

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Using PET bottles in a microcosm experiment lasting 34 days, Misic and Covazzi-Harriague [93] recently investigated the effects on colonization of changes in physical, chemical, and biochemical properties of seawater. Possible influences of variations in temperature and light have also been evaluated.…”

Section: Polyethylene and Polyethylene Terephthalatementioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial Colonization in Marine Environments: Overview of Current Knowledge and Emerging Research Topics

Caruso¹

2020

JMSE

124

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Microbial biofilms are biological structures composed of surface-attached microbial communities embedded in an extracellular polymeric matrix. In aquatic environments, the microbial colonization of submerged surfaces is a complex process involving several factors, related to both environmental conditions and to the physical-chemical nature of the substrates. Several studies have addressed this issue; however, more research is still needed on microbial biofilms in marine ecosystems. After a brief report on environmental drivers of biofilm formation, this study reviews current knowledge of microbial community attached to artificial substrates, as obtained by experiments performed on several material types deployed in temperate and extreme polar marine ecosystems. Depending on the substrate, different microbial communities were found, sometimes highlighting the occurrence of species-specificity. Future research challenges and concluding remarks are also considered. Emphasis is given to future perspectives in biofilm studies and their potential applications, related to biofouling prevention (such as cell-to-cell communication by quorum sensing or improved knowledge of drivers/signals affecting biological settlement) as well as to the potential use of microbial biofilms as sentinels of environmental changes and new candidates for bioremediation purposes.

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“…Therefore, these patterns may have resulted in maximum biofilm extents in the evening, following periods of increased light and temperature, and minimums extents in the early morning, following periods of decreased light and temperature. A previous study of biofilm formation on plastics in seawater revealed a higher relative contribution of photoautotrophic organisms to the biofilm under light versus dark conditions in the laboratory . Additionally, multiple studies have reported enhanced biofilm development during brighter, warmer seasons in comparison to those during darker, colder seasons. ,, …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Product Formulation Controls the Impact of Biofouling on Consumer Plastic Photochemical Fate in the Ocean

Nelson

Reddy

Ward

2021

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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The photodegradation rates of floating marine plastics govern their environmental lifetimes, but the controls on this process remain poorly understood. Photodegradation of these materials has so far been studied under ideal conditions in the absence of environmental factors such as biofouling, which may slow photochemical transformation rates through light screening.To investigate this interaction, we incubated different plastics in continuous flow seawater mesocosms to follow (i) the extent of biofilm growth on the samples and (ii) decreases in light transmittance through the samples over time. We used consumer products with high relevance (e.g., shopping bags, water bottles, and packaging materials) and with different formulations, referring to primary polymers (polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) and inorganic additives (titanium dioxide (TiO 2 )). The behavior of consumer-relevant formulations was compared to those of pure PE and PET films, revealing that the relative effects of UV-and, to a lesser extent, visible-light screening differ based on the formulation of the product. Pure PE showed greater relative UV-transmittance decreases (Δ = −34% through the entire sample, accounting for biofilm on both sides of the plastic film) than PET (Δ = −20%) and PE products with TiO 2 (Δ = < −10%). Our results demonstrate that even with biofouling, photodegradation remains a highly relevant process for the fate of marine plastics. However, we expect photodegradation rates of plastics in the ocean to be slower than those measured in laboratory studies, due to light screening by biofilms, and the specific formulation of plastic products is a key determinant of the extent of this effect.

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Development of marine biofilm on plastic: ecological features in different seasons, temperatures, and light regimes

Cited by 31 publications

References 49 publications

Marine Plastic Debris: A New Surface for Microbial Colonization

Marine Plastic Debris: A New Surface for Microbial Colonization

Microbial Colonization in Marine Environments: Overview of Current Knowledge and Emerging Research Topics

Product Formulation Controls the Impact of Biofouling on Consumer Plastic Photochemical Fate in the Ocean

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