ИСТИНА

The study of the growth and possible ways of biodegradation of marine macroplastics is relevant today. There are two reasons for this: 1. The formation of new communities for marine ecosystems that use plastic as a substrate (plaston cenoses); 2. Macroplastics` fragmentation into a numerous microplastic particles under the influence of hydroturbulence, sunlight, salinity and temperature fluctuations, but also the mechanical effect of populations of different periphytic species during the formation of a community mosaic. In addition, as we show by our experiments in natural and laboratory conditions, not all benthic macro- and microphytes are able to live on plastic, and communities differs on various types and brands of plastic that are in the same environment.