title: Millimeter-sized marine plastics: a new pelagic habitat for microorganisms and invertebrates.
abstract: Millimeter-sized plastics are abundant in most marine surface waters, and known to carry fouling organisms that potentially play key roles in the fate and ecological impacts of plastic pollution. In this study we used scanning electron microscopy to characterize biodiversity of organisms on the surface of 68 small floating plastics (length range = 1.7-24.3 mm, median = 3.2 mm) from Australia-wide coastal and oceanic, tropical to temperate sample collections. Diatoms were the most diverse group of plastic colonizers, represented by 14 genera. We also recorded 'epiplastic' coccolithophores (7 genera), bryozoans, barnacles (Lepas spp.), a dinoflagellate (Ceratium), an isopod (Asellota), a marine worm, marine insect eggs (Halobates sp.), as well as rounded, elongated, and spiral cells putatively identified as bacteria, cyanobacteria, and fungi. Furthermore, we observed a variety of plastic surface microtextures, including pits and grooves conforming to the shape of microorganisms, suggesting that biota may play an important role in plastic degradation. This study highlights how anthropogenic millimeter-sized polymers have created a new pelagic habitat for microorganisms and invertebrates. The ecological ramifications of this phenomenon for marine organism dispersal, ocean productivity, and biotransfer of plastic-associated pollutants, remains to be elucidated.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Systems Engineering, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; Wealth from Oceans Flagship, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reisser
authors.affiliation: Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
authors.forename: Gustaaf
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hallegraeff
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Proietti
authors.affiliation: British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David K A
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.affiliation: Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, The UWA Oceans Institute, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thums
authors.affiliation: Wealth from Oceans Flagship, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Perth, Australia; Marine and Atmospheric Research, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Hobart, Australia.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilcox
authors.affiliation: Wealth from Oceans Flagship, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Perth, Australia; Marine and Atmospheric Research, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Hobart, Australia.
authors.forename: Britta Denise
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Hardesty
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Systems Engineering, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Charitha
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pattiaratchi
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D017377:Diatoms / Q000254:growth & development*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development*; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000502:physiology*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010969:Plastics / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014866:Waste Products; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014866:Waste Products; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical