🦠 Epiphytic Biofilm and Microplastic Capture
1
Microplastic Transport
Water currents transport microplastics toward seagrass leaf surfaces.
Current velocity ranges ~0.5-5 cm/s
2
Initial Bacterial Attachment
Epiphytic bacteria begin adhering to seagrass leaf surfaces.
Initial colonization occurs within minutes to hours
3
Bacterial Proliferation
Vibrio and Exiguobacterium species rapidly multiply on leaf surfaces.
These species achieve 95.7% and 94.5% MP reduction rates
4
Microbial Colony Formation
Bacteria organize and spread in colonies across the surface.
Colony density reaches 2.24-7.75 × 10⁴ bacteria/cm²
5
Biofilm Maturation
Epiphytic biofilm layer thickens and matures.
Maximum biofilm formation after 3 weeks
6
EPS Secretion
Bacteria secrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPS).
Diatom species increase polysaccharide production
7
Sticky Matrix Formation
EPS molecules form adhesive polysaccharide networks.
Surface hydrophobicity decreases, capture increases
8
Microplastic Capture
Sticky biofilm matrix effectively captures microplastics.
Small particles (250-499 μm) captured 177% more efficiently
9
Aggregate Formation
Captured microplastics form aggregates with biogenic particles.
Biofilm accelerates aggregation within days
10
Sedimentation
Heavy aggregates settle to sediment, providing 2.1-2.9x enrichment.
Microplastic accumulation in seagrass sediments