We've all seen the impact of plastic debris in the ocean. Usually we think of a turtle caught in soda six-pack ring or the contents of a pelicans stomach containing all kinds of trash. What if plastic was not only a nuisance by ingestion, but also a very durable type of hydrophobic marine substrate that harbored millions of bacteria that usually wouldn't survive in the middle of the ocean? Evidence suggests that while bacteria may play a role in helping to degrade plastic marine debris (PMD), the PMD may also be a vector for harmful pathogens. Unlike naturally occurring substrates such as feathers, macroalgae, and wood which degrade fairly quickly; PMD on the other hand may persist for years, even decades. This slow degradation allows consistently distinct communities between the PMD and the surrounding seawater to flourish and drift from continent to continent.
Fig from Zettler et. al. (2013)Plastic fragment gathered from open ocean that shows signs of cracks and pitting suggesting active growth
Original Article:
Erik R. Zettler, Tracy J. Mincer, and Linda A. Amaral-Zettler (2013), Life in the “Plastisphere”: Microbial Communities on Plastic Marine Debris. Environmental Science and Technology 47, 7137-7146
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