Microbial transformation of plastics in SE Asian seas: a hazard and a solution

该项目旨在通过了解生活在塑料表面的微生物如何影响污染威胁，并通过探索这些微生物的潜力来提供解决问题的方法，减少东南亚海洋塑料污染的影响。在全球十大塑料垃圾排放国中，有五个排放在东南亚海域，但人们对“塑料球”对生态系统和该地区6.5亿人口构成的威胁知之甚少。“塑料球”一词用来描述塑料和生活在塑料上的微生物的结合。我们需要描述海洋中生活在塑料上的微生物的特征，并探索它们如何影响塑料的分解。通过这一点，我们将了解微生物如何转化塑料表面，并决定塑料碎屑在海洋环境中的最终命运。我们需要测量这些塑料球对海洋环境和野生动物的影响，以便准确地描述塑料球（而不仅仅是塑料）对该地区生态系统造成的危害。我们将寻找消除塑料的解决方案，并建立一个由区域利益相关者组成的知情和相互联系的社区，以减少当前和未来塑料污染对环境的破坏。该计划汇集新加坡、英国、印度尼西亚、菲律宾和越南的研究人员的专业知识，就塑料的微生物定植和转化进行实验室和实地试验。我们将分析生物膜的DNA，并使用显微镜测量塑料降解，以识别生活在塑料上的微生物，以及它们如何影响塑料分解。我们将量化主要生境和动物中塑料圈负荷的数量、类型和位置，以衡量塑料圈对选定的沿海生态系统（红树林、珊瑚礁和海滩）的影响。我们将指导在生物膜中发现的酶用于生物工程回收，帮助向循环塑料经济过渡，在这种经济中，废塑料在进入海洋之前被拦截并转化为有用的产品。我们将与区域政策组织和行动团体协调，建立一个知情和联系的塑料利益相关者社区。我们将举办研讨会，分享专业知识，传播我们的想法，并与利益相关者接触，以制定适用于东南亚地区的解决方案。该项目将提供一个新的视角，展示微生物如何调节海洋塑料的威胁，促进创新解决方案，加强海洋塑料污染的区域治理。

This project aims to reduce the impact of marine plastic pollution in South East Asia by understanding how microorganisms living on plastic surfaces affect the pollution threat and by exploring the potential of these microorganisms to provide a solution to the problem. SE Asian seas receive outputs from five of the top ten global emitters of plastic debris but there is little understanding of the threat to ecosystems and 650 million humans living in the region posed by 'plastispheres', the term used to describe the combination of plastic and the microorganisms that live on it. We need to characterise the microorganisms living on plastics in the sea and explore how they affect the breakdown of plastic. Through this we will understand how microorganisms transform plastic surfaces and determine the ultimate fate of plastic detritus in the marine environment. We need to measure the impact these plastispheres have on marine environments and wildlife in order to accurately characterise the hazard posed by plastispheres, and not just plastics, to the region's ecosystems. We will search for solutions to removing plastics and grow an informed and connected community of regional stakeholders in order to reduce environmental damage by current and future plastic pollution.This project coordinates the expertise of researchers from Singapore, UK, Indonesia,the Philippines and Vietnam to carry out laboratory and field experiments on microbial colonisation and transformation of plastic. We will analyse the DNA of biofilms and use microscopy to measure plastic degradation to identify the microorganisms living on the plastics and how they affect the plastic breakdown. We will quantify the volume, type and location of plastisphere loads in key habitats and animals to measure the impact plastispheres have on selected coastal ecosystems - mangroves, coral reefs and beaches. We will direct enzymes discovered in biofilms for use in bioengineered recycling, helping the transition towards a circular plastics economy in which waste plastic is intercepted before it enters the sea and is converted into useful products. We will coordinate with regional policy organisations and action groups to grow an informed and connected community of plastic stakeholders. We will conduct workshops to share expertise, disseminate our ideas and engage with stakeholders in order to develop solutions applicable to the SE Asian region. The project will give a novel perspective that shows how the threats from marine plastic are mediated by microorganisms, facilitating innovative solutions and enhancing regional governance of marine plastic pollution.