Plastic particles in the ocean are typically covered with microbial biofilms, but it remains
unclear whether distinct microbial communities colonize different polymer types. In this
study, we analyzed microbial communities forming biofilms on floating microplastics in a bay
of the island of Elba in the Mediterranean Sea. Raman spectroscopy revealed that the
plastic particles mainly comprised polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene
(PS) of which polyethylene and polypropylene particles were typically brittle and featured�…