• Cymodocea nodosa
• marine debris
• seagrass meadows
• shoppers
• Zostera noltii

About from 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of plastic litter entered accidentally in marine environment in 2010, causing serious threats to the entire biota. On the most important sources of marine debris is represented by plastic shoppers. Studies have shown that conventional, non-biodegradable shoppers can have dangerous effects on marine organisms, both directly and indirectly by changing chemical-physical features of natural habitats. Yet, the possible effects of newly produced biodegradable (and compostable) shoppers on marine habitats and organisms are largely unknown. Virtually nothing is known on their effects on both bio- and non-biodegradable shoppers on seagrass communities.
This study aims to examine the possible effect of degradation products of commercially available bioshoppers (Mater-Bi) on the development of two seagrass species, Cymodocea nodosa e Zostera noltii, which provide important ecosystem services and functions but are threatened worldwide due to anthropogenic disturbances and global change.
To this end, a microcosm experiment was conducted in two large aquaculture tanks from March to August 2016.using rhizome fragments of each species collected in their natural environment.