On July 2, the kickoff meeting for the MicroWorld_Ports project took place at the Port Authority of Tarragona. This project was selected in the latest Ports 4.0 call for ideas, the innovation fund promoted by Puertos del Estado to foster open innovation in the port-logistics sector.
Led by EURECAT, with the Port Authority of Tarragona acting as a facilitating agent, the project aims to identify bacterial strains capable of biodegrading plastics (microplastics and nanoplastics).
The project also involves collaboration from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the University of Turku (Finland), the Medical and Dental University (Japan), and Tohoku University (Japan).
Participants in the meeting included Pere Puigbò, Roger Mariné and Anna Pujol (EURECAT), and Rafael López-Munné, Iván Bernal, Carme Tarragó and Maria Pineda Vaquer (APT).
Plastic pollution is currently one of the most pressing environmental concerns, as microplastic polymers are persistent, widespread, and can affect ecosystems and human health by entering the food chain, as well as acting as carriers for other pollutants. In Spain, microplastic pollution has risen exponentially, making it the second-largest contributor of plastic waste into the Mediterranean Sea.
Traditional plastics such as polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) degrade very slowly under natural conditions. However, studies of the “plastisphere” (the ecosystem surrounding plastic materials) enable researchers to explore the microbial biodegradation potential of polymers, opening new avenues for mitigating this environmental challenge.
The aim of MicroWorld_Ports is to identify microorganisms capable of biodegrading micro- and nanoplastics found in the waters of the Port of Tarragona and La Pineda beach. This will be done by analyzing microbial strains collected from plastic debris in the local environment, ensuring they are well-adapted to Mediterranean conditions. The project will also evaluate the potential toxicity of plastics through experimental testing, microbiological analysis and bioinformatic modeling.
The project, to be developed during the second half of 2025, is fully aligned with the Port of Tarragona’s innovation and sustainability goals. For this reason, the Port Authority is actively involved as a facilitating agent.
Department of Innovation and Blue Economy
July 22, 2025