Assessment of Marine Microbial Risks from Plastic Pollution

Dear Colleagues,

Plastic pollution is an emerging problem impacting different marine domains (from coastal water to sediments and beaches), but its implications are not fully understood yet. While, since a decade, several reports have documented the role of plastic debris (from macro- to micro- and nano-plastics size) as potential vectors of microbial pathogens (i.e., bacteria and fungi), the actual entity and complexity of the risks associated to plastic pollution have not been extensively ascertained. Several reports have addressed this threat, especially as a consequence of the massive use of disposals (i.e., gloves and masks) following the outbreak of COVID-19.

Bacterial species (including Vibrio spp., Pseudomonas spp., Shewanella spp., and Arcobacter spp.), fungal pathogens (Candida spp., Fusarium spp., and Rhodotorula spp.), and toxic microalgae may colonize plastic items and be transmitted along the trophic web, representing, in the end, risks to human health.

One important question is whether pathogens absorbed/attached to plastics will increase the pool of these microorganisms in the marine environment and affect their dispersal across coastal habitats. It is still unknown whether the aging and chemical features of plastics may influence the spread of potential microbial pathogens.

Selective enrichment of virulence factor genes and of antibiotic resistance genes driven by a unique microbial community in the plastisphere has also been demonstrated, suggesting increased microbiological risks associated with the plastisphere.

In this context, this Special Issue is aimed at achieving a better understanding of the pathogenic behavior and the consequent environmental risks necessary to deepen current knowledge on plastics as vectors of pathogens and exploring this topic in different marine ecosystems and by using different techniques. Manuscripts exploring this topic, also with a multidisciplinary approach, are welcome in this Special Issue.

Dr. Gabriella Caruso
Dr. Carmen Rizzo
Dr. Monia Renzi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• plastics
• vectors
• pathogens
• bacteria
• fungi
• toxic phytoplankton
• antibiotic-resistant bacteria/genes
• virulence factor genes
• the microbiome
• risk assessment