Helge Niemann

I study the role of bacteria and other microorganisms in the breakdown of methane and plastic in the ocean. Methane and plastics share some important chemical characteristics. Key concepts related to the degradation of methane might thus apply for plastics, as well. We estimated that the total amount of plastic floating in the North Atlantic Ocean as particles of less than 1 micrometer small, is 27 million tons. In our experimental research, we feed bacteria and other microorganisms with plastic particles under differing climatological conditions to discover whether those organisms feed on plastics and could thus play a role in plastic degradation in the ocean.