PlastHealth will provide a comprehensive understanding of the transfer and effect of MP pollution at the ecosystem level with 2 main objectives:
1) assess the transfer of MPs within the three ecosystem levels, evaluating the effects of MP exposure on the health (such as the gut content, gut damage, metabolic activity and oxidative stress) using biochemical and histopathological analyses; and recovery rate of the model species using fluorescent stereomicroscopy
2) investigate the effects of MPs on the gut microbiome of the model species and the subsequent changes in the community dynamics of the plastisphere (microbial community formed on plastic debris) after MPs digestion by the model species using metagenomics.
A unique experimental setup that includes 3 functional groups mesocosm model system – a prey (arthropod Artemia salina), a predator (fish Sparus aurata), and a filter feeder (mussel Mytilus sp.). Following a highly interdisciplinary approach, and using advanced techniques, the research plan will test three MP concentrations (0, 10 and 1000mL-1) and two MP diameters (2 and 10 μm).