Beach wracks microbiome and its putative function in plastic polluted Mediterranean marine ecosystem

Kolda, Anamarija; Mucko, Maja; Rapljenović, Ana; Ljubešić, Zrinka; Pikelj, Kristina; Kwokal, Željko; Fajković, Hana; Cuculić, Vlado (2024) Beach wracks microbiome and its putative function in plastic polluted Mediterranean marine ecosystem. Marine Environmental Research, 202 . ISSN 1879-0291

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Abstract

The coasts of the world's oceans and seas accumulate various types of floating debris, commonly known as beach wracks, including organic seaweeds, seagrass, and ubiquitous anthropogenic waste, mainly plastic. Beach wrack microbiome (MB), surviving in the form of a biofilm, ensures decomposition and remineralization of wracks, but can also serve as a vector of potential pathogens in the environment. Through the interdisciplinary approach and comprehensive sampling design that includes geological analysis of the sediment, plastic debris composition analysis (ATR-FTIR) and application of 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding of beach wrack MBs, this study aims to describe MB in relation to beach exposure, sediment type and plastic pollution. Major contributors in beach wrack MB were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia and Firmicutes and there was significant dissimilarity between sample groups with Vibrio, Cobetia and Planococcus shaping the Exposed beach sample group and Cyclobacteriaceae and Flavobacterium shaping the Sheltered beach sample group. Our results suggest plastisphere MB is mostly shaped by beach exposure, type of seagrass, sediment type and probably beach naturalness with heavy influence of seawater MB and shows no significant dissimilarity between MBs from a variety of microplastics (MP). Putative functional analysis of MB detected plastic degradation and potential human pathogen bacteria in both beach wrack and seawater MB. The research provides the next crucial step in beach wrack MP accumulation research, MB composition and functional investigation with focus on beach exposure as an important variable.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Beach wrack; Beach exposure; Microbiome; Plastic pollution; ATR-FTIR; 16S rRNA gene; Metabarcoding
Subjects:	NATURAL SCIENCES > Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences > Marine Science
Divisions:	Division for Marine and Enviromental Research
Projects:	Project title Project leader Project code Project type Međudjelovanje morskog (mikro)plastičnog otpada i metala zagađivala: mogući put od morskog okoliša do čovjeka-METALPATH Vlado Cuculić IP-2019-04-5832 HRZZ Utjecaj valova vezanih uz otok na primarnu produkciju-ISLAND Zrinka Ljubešić IP-2020-02-9524 HRZZ
Depositing User:	Ana Rapljenović
Date Deposited:	07 Nov 2024 13:00
URI:	http://fulir.irb.hr/id/eprint/9248
DOI:	10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106769

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