Lacerda Ana L, Proietti Maíra C, Kessler Felipe, Mendes Carlos R, Secchi Eduardo R, Taylor Joe D
Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil.
Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France.
Commun Earth Environ. 2025;6(1):462. doi: 10.1038/s43247-025-02445-4. Epub 2025 Jun 14.
Antarctica, once considered pristine, is increasingly threatened by plastic pollution, with debris found in its waters, sediments, sea ice, and biota. Here, we provide a comprehensive molecular survey of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic diversity on plastics around the Antarctic Peninsula, addressing a gap in existing research. Using eDNA metabarcoding, we identified diverse communities, with Pseudomonadota and Bacteroidota dominating prokaryotic communities, while Gyrista (mostly diatoms), Fungi and Arthropods were prevalent among eukaryotes. Geographic location significantly influenced community composition, with differences between the Bransfield Strait and the Gerlache Strait/Bellingshausen Sea. Polymer type and plastic shape did not impact species richness or community structure. These findings offer new insights into the complexity of the Antarctic plastisphere, highlighting potential impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and the broader implications of marine plastic pollution.
南极洲曾被认为是一片净土，但如今正日益受到塑料污染的威胁，在其水域、沉积物、海冰和生物群落中都发现了塑料碎片。在此，我们对南极半岛周围塑料上的原核生物和真核生物多样性进行了全面的分子调查，填补了现有研究的空白。通过环境DNA宏条形码技术，我们识别出了多样化的群落，其中变形菌门和拟杆菌门在原核生物群落中占主导地位，而硅藻纲（主要是硅藻）、真菌和节肢动物在真核生物中较为普遍。地理位置显著影响群落组成，布兰斯菲尔德海峡与杰拉许海峡/别林斯高晋海之间存在差异。聚合物类型和塑料形状并未影响物种丰富度或群落结构。这些发现为南极塑料圈的复杂性提供了新的见解，突出了其对生物多样性、生态系统功能的潜在影响以及海洋塑料污染的更广泛影响。
