Analysis of eDNA metabarcoding for characterizing the diversity of prokaryotes and eukaryotes in the marine plastisphere.
This study investigated microbial colonization on three polymers (LDPE, PP-PC, PLA) and in the seawater across six locations in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans (in Italy, France, Spain, Ireland and Brazil). Using standardized methods and eDNA metabarcoding (16S and 18S rRNA), the research explored how factors like polymer type, biogeography, and exposure time - short-time and seasonal variances -  affect microbial communities.