A Novel Approach to Characterizing the Plastisphere in the Marine Environment

Authors

• Hannah E. Harrison, College of Coastal Georgia
• Lucas Morais De Abreu, University of South Florida
• Ojas Natarajan, University of South Florida
• Susanne L. Gibboney, University of South Florida
• Larry J. Dishaw, University of South Florida

Document Type

Poster Session

Publication Date

1-25-2026

Abstract

• The rise in plastic consumption and production has also created a rise in plastic pollution. This plastic waste breaks down into smaller particles over time called microplastics (MPs).
• These plastics move through the environment (and through the food chain), often ending up in our bodies(see Fig. 1) (Cindrella& Rinjith, 2025).
• In 2013, Zettler et al. found that microbes often colonize MPs and form biofilms on the surface. This ecosystem is referred to as the plastisphere.
• The effects of MPs on the environment and human health is not well understood, and studying these effects is challenging.
• One of these challenges is studying the combined impact of MPs and the plastisphere. Methods for preserving the plastisphere during processing do not exist.
• Traditionally, water samples are collected and filtered usinga 5-micron filter for MPs and 0.22-micron filter for bacteria.
• This process can be laborious,genetic information can be lostin the process of scraping the filters, and viewing and evaluating the plastisphere ON the MPs is difficult.
• Sucrose density gradient centrifugation (SDGC)is often used to isolate bacteriophages and cellular structures (Choi & Barrientos, 2020). We applied that idea to this study.

Rights Information

Terms of use for work posted in Scholar Commons.

Scholar Commons Citation

Harrison, Hannah E.; Morais De Abreu, Lucas; Natarajan, Ojas; Gibboney, Susanne L.; and Dishaw, Larry J., "A Novel Approach to Characterizing the Plastisphere in the Marine Environment" (2026). Making Waves REU. 25.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/making-waves_reu/25