Microbes of the Plastispehere: Hitchhiking through the Ocean

21.02.2020/Kiel. The ‘Plastisphere’ is a novel ecological habitat for microbes in the ocean, generated by the ongoing release of plastic debris to the environment. In the frame of the Marie Tharp Lectures Series at GEOMAR, Prof. Dr. Linda Amaral-Zettler from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) gave now deeper insight into the relationship between plastic marine debris and microorganisms within the Plastisphere.

Plastic debris provides a durable substrate that can be colonized by microorganisms transporting them over long distances. Plastic supports the growth of microbial biofilms that can include potential pathogens and harmful algal bloom species. In her presentation Pro. Amaral-Zettler revised 7 myths about marine plastic and compiled a more realistic view about the plastic pollution in the ocean and its possible impact on marine ecosystems. She pointed out that microbes and marine plastic debris are closely connected because each plastic piece entering the ocean will immediately be colonized by bacteria and algae. However, the microbiome of the “Plastisphere” and its influence on the fate of plastic (degradation and sinking into the deep ocean and sediment) is poorly understood.

Dr. Amaral-Zettler presented her great steps forward in understanding the interaction between microbes and plastic debris. She pointed out that it is of great importance to elucidate the role of plastic debris in the microbial loop, especially in the oceanic gyres or accumulation zones, as a key to understand the ecological impact of plastic pollution on the open ocean environments. She ended with the request to reduce and reuse plastic in our daily life and start to see plastic as a valuable resource that shouldn’t be wasted.

Prof. Amaral-Zettler is a Research Leader at the NIOZ and holds a Chair in Marine Microbiology at the University of Amsterdam. She also is an MBL Fellow with the Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution at the MBL in Woods Hole, MA USA and is a Visiting Faculty member of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Brown University. She obtained her Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography at the MIT/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program after receiving an ScB in Aquatic Biology at Brown University. Amaral-Zettler’s research investigates the relationships between microbes and the mechanisms that determine their diversity, distribution, survival, and impact on local and global processes. She has been active in plastic marine debris (PMD) research over the last 10 years and serves as the Secretary for ASTM D20.96 Subcommittee on Environmentally degradable plastics and bio-based products. Her current plastics research interests include microbial interactions with PMD and the "Plastisphere" and applying next-generation technologies to updating existing Biodegradation Standard Testing Methods.  She has published in Environmental Science and Technology and other microbial ecology journals.

The Marie Tharp Lecture Series (MTLS) is organized by the Women's Executive Board (WEB) of GEOMAR. The WEB invites internationally renowned female scientists to present their scientific work in Kiel and at the same time serve as role models for young female scientists. On the occasion of the 32th MTLS a reception took place after the lecture.