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REVIEW article

Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Aquatic Microbiology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1482946

Marine microbial biofilms on diverse abiotic surfaces

Provisionally accepted
Shan Yu Shan Yu 1,2*Xindi Lu Xindi Lu 1,3Hailong Lu Hailong Lu 1,2
  • 1 Beijing International Center for Gas Hydrate, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
  • 2 School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China, Beijing, China
  • 3 Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Marine biofilms are globally ubiquitous surface-associated microbial communities that have gained increasing attention due to their distinctive structure and functions. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current scientific understanding, with a specific focus on naturally occurring biofilms that develop on diverse marine abiotic surfaces, including microplastics, seafloor sediments, subsurface particles and submerged artificial structures susceptible to biocorrosion and biofouling induced by marine biofilms. This article presents recent advancements and discoveries concerning the diversity, structure, function and dynamics of these surface-associated microbial communities in the marine environment, highlighting their ecological and biogeochemical dimensions, while also serving as an inspiration for further investigations into marine biofilms.

    Keywords: Marine biofilms, microplastic biofilms, Biofouling, biocorrosion, subsurface mats, sedimentary biofilms

    Received: 19 Aug 2024; Accepted: 31 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Yu, Lu and Lu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Shan Yu, Beijing International Center for Gas Hydrate, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.