Plastic Marine Debris Was Collected from Multiple Sites in the Ocean

question 34

Multiple Choice

Plastic marine debris was collected from multiple sites in the ocean and examined with electron microscopy and next-generation sequencing. These techniques revealed microbial communities growing on the plastics. Which of the following statements is correct regarding these communities?

• A) At least one member of the community must synthesize an enzyme to degrade the hydrocarbon comprising the plastic.
• B) There are no bacteriophage that use these microbes as hosts, as viruses are rare in marine ecosystems.
• C) The community within the plastic must be very similar to the community in the surrounding ocean waters.
• D) These communities are very likely to be pure cultures, as plastics have been synthesized precisely because they are resistant to microbial degradation.

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