Research discovers new bacteria that stick to plastic in the deep sea to travel around the ocean

New types of plastic lovingbacteria that stick to plastic in the deep sea may allow them to cross the ocean.

The team showed for the first time that these deep-sea, plastic lovingbacteria make up only 1% of the total community. The team reported their findings in the journal Environmental Pollution.

The research shows that thesebacteria may be able to hitchhike across the deep sea by attaching to plastic.

The team used a deep-sealander in the North-East Atlantic to sink two types of plastic in the deep. The method helps tackle the issue of how plastic is made and how it is used in the environment.

Calorithrix, which is also found in deep-sea hydrothermal vent systems, is one of the diverse and extreme livingbacteria observed by the scientists. The Marine Methylotrophic Group 3, a group ofbacteria isolated from deep-sea methane seeps, has negatively affected the fish farming industry, highlighting a growing concern for the presence of plastic in the ocean.

The strain originally isolated from the Titanic has been found in their most recent work. While the rust-eating microbe was originally found on the wreck, the researchers have now shown it also loves to stick to plastic and is capable of low crystallinity plastic degradation.

Max Kelly is a student at the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences.

He said that the deep sea is the largest environment on earth and likely the final sink for most of the plastic that enters the marine environment. Combining deep-sea experts, engineers, and marine microbiologists, our team is helping to decipher the community that can stick to plastic to reveal the final fate of deep-sea plastic.

The amount of plastic entering the ocean is much larger than the amount found on the surface of the ocean. The emerging ecological impacts of plastic pollution are highlighted by the plastic lovingbacteria found in the study.

More information: Max R. Kelly et al, Bacterial colonisation of plastic in the Rockall Trough, North-East Atlantic: An improved understanding of the deep-sea plastisphere, Environmental Pollution (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119314 Journal information: Environmental Pollution Citation: Research discovers new bacteria that stick to plastic in the deep sea to travel around the ocean (2022, April 29) retrieved 29 April 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-04-bacteria-plastic-deep-sea-ocean.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.