Ocean acidification shows a greater impact on the prokaryotic community than on the eukaryotic community in the plastisphere

We conducted an OA mesocosm experiment lasting about a month to examine how ocean acidification (OA) affects the prokaryotic and eukaryotic community composition on drinking bottles in subtropical eutrophic waters in the East China Sea. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, OA significantly altered the community composition of prokaryotes, with the relative abundance of Planctomycetota phylum increasing by 49.13 % under HC. Based on the function prediction of prokaryotic community, OA significantly enhanced nitrogen respiration and ureolysis, which suggests that OA may modify the nutrient cycling and subsequently influence the biogeochemical cycle in the ocean. The relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria and animal parasite bacteria was also observed to increase under OA, implying that OA may facilitate the spread of infectious diseases. According to the 18S rRNA gene sequences, Mayorella belonged to a secondary producer and was discovered to be resistant to OA, highlighting the potential impact of OA on the plastisphere's food web.