Plastic pollution represents a serious threat to marine ecosystems, together with global warming. Numerous studies on plastic pollution have focused on coastal and surface waters, while available information is limited for the mesopelagic and deeper layers that occupy a large area of the global ocean. To better understand the influences of microplastics on marine ecosystems, many studies have evaluated their abundance, distribution, and composition using marine bioindicators and the detection of plastic-associated contaminants in their tissues. Among these additives, phthalate esters (PAEs) are one of the most used classes of plasticizers, which can easily be released into the aquatic medium. PAEs have been proposed as a possible tracer of the exposure of marine organisms to microplastics in the natural environment.This PhD project aims to improve awareness of microplastic-biota relationships, focusing on the study of potential adverse effects of microplastic and climate change on meso-bathypelagic organisms. This will be performed evaluating and correlating microplastic contents (abundance and polymer type) and environmental parameters monitoring vs a) morphometry b) total length– weight relationships c) isometric and allometric growth d) observed sex ratio e) gonado-somatic index f) hepatosomatic index g) stomach contents analysis h) Levin’s index. Additionally, PAEs contents will be investigated in organisms’ tissues to assess potential bioaccumulation processes.

Basic knowledge on marine biology, ecology and zoologyMarine pollutionBiological lab experience

Lab StREAM is a multidisciplinary researchers team.The scientific activity mainly focus on marine organisms biology and distribution studies. Special attention is addressed to extreme or stressed marine areas, characterized by particular anthropogenic or natural conditions: Strait of Messina, brackish lagoons, Eolian Islands, mediterranean coasts, Antarctic areas, hydrothermal vents, deep environments. Researches performed by Lab StREAM concern benthic and nektonic organisms, focusing on trophic web functioning, biodiversity and monitoring of marine protected areas. A special attention is addressed to the effects of different classes of pollutants (marine litter) on marine organisms.