BioBream

Biodegradable plastics are proposed as replacement for traditional plastics, but recent studies have warned on their high rate of microplastic formation and the large number of different chemicals used in their production. Aquatic organisms are presently exposed to complex mixtures of those chemicals. However, little is known on their potential health effects of marine species during early development. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the BioBream project aims to evaluate the consequences of shifting from traditional to bio-plastics on marine species, focusing on gilthead sea bream, a commonly farmed Mediterranean species. The project will investigate the impacts of bio-plastics and their additives on fish physiology, as well as on transcriptomic and epigenetic responses during early development.