Plastisphere contribution to Greenhouse gases recycling in a trophic gradient offshore Eastern South Pacific. Plastisphere exploration offshore Eastern South Pacific

Microplastic is an allochthonous source of particulate matter to marine environments, representing an impact to marine organisms. The microplastic is known to be rapidly colonized by microorganisms which could potential use it as a support for biofilm formation and as substrate. Herein, we studied the contribution of the plastisphere to Greenhouse gases (GHG) in experiments performed onboard during CIMAR 21 ISLAS (B/C Cabo de Hornos) using microplastic collected from seawater under contrasting oceanographic regimes in the Eastern South Pacific, including a coastal-oceanic transition and the subtropical South Pacific Gyre. In our experiments, the microbial communities from the plastisphere were diverse and active and recycle CO2 and N2O in a differential way under contrasting biogeochemical conditions in the water column associated with trophic conditions. In total our results indicate that the plastisphere contribute with GHG recycling in the seawater.