Bacterial communities associated with individual floating microplastic particles across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Floating microplastics provide a globally distributed habitat for microbial colonisation in the surface ocean. Despite increasing recognition of the plastisphere as a distinct microbial ecosystem, the ecological processes governing biodiversity patterns among individual particles remain poorly understood. This study characterised bacterial communities associated with 145 individual floating microplastic particles collected across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Particles were analysed to investigate relationships between habitat size, geographic location and microbial community composition within the plastisphere.  The dataset was generated to test whether plastisphere communities exhibit biodiversity patterns predicted by island biogeography theory. Specifically, the study examined species-area relationships, biogeographic structuring across oceanographic regions and distance-decay relationships in community composition. Bacterial richness and community composition were quantified for individual particles spanning multiple Longhurst biogeographic provinces and a range of particle sizes and polymer types.
Floating microplastics provide a globally distributed habitat for microbial colonisation in the surface ocean. Despite increasing recognition of the plastisphere as a distinct microbial ecosystem, the ecological processes governing biodiversity patterns among individual particles remain poorly understood. This study characterised bacterial communities associated with 145 individual floating microplastic particles collected across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Particles were analysed to investigate relationships between habitat size, geographic location and microbial community composition within the plastisphere.  The dataset was generated to test whether plastisphere communities exhibit biodiversity patterns predicted by island biogeography theory. Specifically, the study examined species-area relationships, biogeographic structuring across oceanographic regions and distance-decay relationships in community composition. Bacterial richness and community composition were quantified for individual particles spanning multiple Longhurst biogeographic provinces and a range of particle sizes and polymer types.