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Cited by 407

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 5 of the 5 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

The biogeography of the Plastisphere: implications for policy

Amaral-Zettler, Linda A, Zettler, Erik R, Slikas, Beth, Boyd, Gregory D, Melvin, Donald W, Morrall, Clare E, Proskurowski, Giora, Mincer, Tracy J·2015·Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

Abstract

Microplastics (particles less than 5 mm) numerically dominate marine debris and occur from coastal waters to mid‐ocean gyres, where surface circulation concentrates them. Given the prevalence of plastic marine debris (PMD) and the rise in plastic production, the impacts of plastic on marine ecosystems will likely increase. Microscopic life (the “Plastisphere”) thrives on these tiny floating “islands” of debris and can be transported long distances. Using next‐generation DNA sequencing, we characterized bacterial communities from water and plastic samples from the North Pacific and North Atlantic subtropical gyres to determine whether the composition of different Plastisphere communities reflects their biogeographic origins. We found that these communities differed between ocean basins – and to a lesser extent between polymer types – and displayed latitudinal gradients in species richness. Our research reveals some of the impacts of microplastics on marine biodiversity, demonstrates that the effects and fate of PMD may vary considerably in different parts of the global ocean, and suggests that PMD mitigation will require regional management efforts.

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Metadata

Authors
Amaral-Zettler, L. A., Zettler, E. R., Slikas, B., Boyd, G. D., Melvin, D. W., Morrall, C. E., Proskurowski, G., & Mincer, T. J.
Venue
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2015-12
Volume
13
Issue
10
Pages
541-546
ISSN
  • 1540-9295 (ISSN-L)
  • 1540-9309
OpenAlex
W2182121802
Cited by
407
References
5
FWCI
8.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: The biogeography of the Plastisphere: implications for policy. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1890/150017
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Amaral-Zettler, L. A., Zettler, E. R., Slikas, B., Boyd, G. D., Melvin, D. W., Morrall, C. E., Proskurowski, G., & Mincer, T. J. (2015). The biogeography of the Plastisphere: implications for policy. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. https://doi.org/10.1890/150017

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