How microbes survive in the plastisphere
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Published: 9 April 2026
Helmholtz researchers found that microorganisms on ocean plastic particles have larger genomes enabling them to metabolize diverse carbon sources, fix nitrogen, and resist UV radiation, revealing how the plastisphere functions as a distinct marine ecosystem.
Keywords: plastisphere, ocean plastic, microbes, marine pollution, North Atlantic, biofilm, metagenomics, carbon metabolism
Sea Urchins: A Mother's Gift
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Published: 24 April 2026
Researchers discovered that sea urchins integrate plastid-derived carotenoid crystals into their eggs, enhancing larvae viability and potentially explaining their wide distribution across the Atlantic Ocean. Published in PLoS Biology.
Keywords: sea urchins, marine biology, plastids, carotenoid crystals, larvae development, Atlantic Ocean, egg provisioning
Even the most remote ocean is contaminated with zinc from human sources
ETH Zurich
Published: 6 May 2026
ETH Zurich and GEOMAR researchers show that zinc from fossil fuel combustion and industrial emissions has reached the most remote South Pacific waters, now exceeding natural zinc sources and potentially disrupting marine plankton communities.
Keywords: zinc contamination, ocean pollution, trace metals, South Pacific, atmospheric deposition, marine chemistry, isotopic analysis, aerosols
