Plastisphere biofilms in tropical marine ecosystem

Plastics have now become the number one source of marine pollution. Over the past decade, the significant demand for plastics has triggered an increase in improper disposal of plastics entering the ocean. This has created a serious threat to both marine animals as well as the ecological habitat. With any surfaces that enter a water body, a layer of biofilm would develop onto the plastic surface which is termed as the “plastisphere”. This phenomenon has sparked interest among researchers around the world to analyse and understand the microbial community on the surfaces of marine plastic. With more and more plastic debris ending up in the ocean as its final source, it would be crucial to understand the development of marine plastic and the microbial community on it so as to recognize the consequences it has on the marine ecosystem. Currently, there has only been a few research being conducted in the Asia region. Therefore, a series of field trips in the tropical marine environment of Southeast Asia, in Singapore would be conducted to obtain marine plastics, sediments, and seawater. Extraction analysis would be conducted to understand the microbial communities on various samples.Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental Engineering