Microbial ecosystem and anthropogenic impacts

Abstract

Oceans are the most vulnerable sites for anthropogenic waste from domestic as well as industrial origin. Usually, marine ecosystems are exposed to most anthropogenic stressors ranging from sewage disposal to nuclear waste contaminants. Most recent threats to marine ecosystems are ocean warming and ocean acidification (related to anthropogenic emission of CO2), oil (tarball), and (micro) plastic contamination, which is proved to have a devastating impact on the marine ecosystem. Microbes are abundantly present in marine ecosystems playing essential roles in ecosystem productivity and biogeochemistry. Generally, microbial communities are the initial responders of these stressors. Altered microbial communities in response to these stressors can, in turn, have adverse impact on the marine ecosystem and later on humans. In this review, we highlight the effect of oil pollution, microplastics, and increased CO2 on the marine microbial ecosystem. The information on the impacts of such stressors on microbial communities will be valuable to formulate appropriate remediation approaches for future use.