The "Plastisphere" is a new, man-made environment of plastic in aquatic systems and the diverse community of microbes, algae, and animals that develops on it (Image 1). There is substantial public and scientific interest in plastic in the environment, and the problems of entanglement and ingestion by fish, turtles, birds, and marine mammals are well known, but the microbial community on this manufactured substrate is just beginning to be studied. Global plastic production exceeds 300 million metric tons per year (35kg per person per year) and it is estimated that up to 5% of plastic waste is entering the ocean. As a result, plastic is now the most common form of debris in the ocean, reaching concentrations of over 1 million pieces per square kilometer in ocean accumulation zones. Each of these pieces develops a microbial biofilm that can make it smell and taste like food, allowing it to enter and move through the marine food web, potentially making its way to our dinner plate. Plastic lasts a long time (though not "forever"), and can contribute to the transport of toxic chemicals and invasive species including diseases across oceans. This project was one of the first to study in depth the microbial community on plastic debris in the ocean, using a combination of DNA sequencing, sophisticated microscopy (Image 2), and culturing of microbes from plastic collected in oceans around the world. Scientific products included 5 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, 1 book chapter, and 1 international governmental report for GESAMP, the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection. It also produced a valuable collection of plastic samples from the world oceans that will continue to provide material for students and researchers. Cell isolates from field samples have generated a valuable collection of cultures from plastic and other substrates that can be used for future experiments. Education and outreach were an important component of this project and 6 high school students, 29 undergraduate students, 5 postgrads, 2 graduate students, and 1postdoctoral fellow contributed to sampling, experiments, analysis, and publications. Several received college credit for their work on this project. The science was of interest to the public and was featured in multiple documentaries, print and online articles, and radio shows, and was even incorporated into an art show and student school curricula. Citizen science has played an important role in research about plastic in the ocean (Image 3), and this is an environmental issue that everybody can have an impact on, by things as simple as conscious choice of products and packaging as well as recycling and beach cleanups. Published data generated by this project is publically available and highlights of our results include: The microbial community on plastic marine debris is distinct from the community in the surrounding water and differs between ocean basins, regionally, and seasonally. Nevertheless, there appers to be a consistent core community on plastic. Microscope and DNA sequence data suggest some microbes are degrading plastic in the ocean. Microbes on plastic and in surrounding seawater showed latitudinal gradients in diversity. Plastic in the ocean can harbor harmful algal bloom species and potential pathogens including Vibrio that can cause diseases in marine creatures and humans. Results from our field experiments showed that microbes colonize plastic very quickly, within hours of immersion, and show patterns that may provide community based tool for aging pieces of plastic in the environment. Last Modified: 05/12/2017 Submitted by: Erik Zettler
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