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Preliminary results of observations of microplastics during ice formation in the Kara Sea
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This preliminary study from a 2023 Russian Arctic expedition measured microplastic concentrations during ice formation in the Kara Sea, one of the Arctic Ocean's most productive but least-studied regions. The data contributes to understanding how sea ice formation concentrates and redistributes microplastics in the Arctic, where they accumulate far from their original sources.
In early November 2023, the 92nd scientific survey of the R/V "Academician Mstislav Keldysh" to the Kara Sea was completed. The main areas of work of the expedition of the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the 92nd scientific voyage (head of the expedition, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Mikhail Flint) are climatic trends and accumulated environmental risks in Arctic ecosystems [1]. One of the objectives of the multidisciplinary research of the expedition was to collect samples of microplastics by the Manta neuston network 335 mkm to assess its quantity and distribution pattern in the surface during ice formation in the Kara Sea. The scientific work carried out by VNIRO scientists within the framework of the Agreement of Intent on Cooperation in Research Activities between VNIRO and IO RAS dated 07.08.2018 and the Program of Joint Scientific Research of Rosrybolovstvo and the Russian Academy of Sciences for 2021 and Subsequent years dated March 3, 2021, allowed updating data on the distribution of microplastics, fibers and other anthropogenic pollutants in various areas of the sea, including its bays, gulfs and the waters at the edge of the ice. Observations in October 2023 did not reveal localization and abnormal concentrations of microplastics within the boundaries of the surveyed water area.
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This study measured the spatial and seasonal distribution of floating microplastics at the surface of the Kara Sea in the Russian Arctic using two research cruises in 2020 and 2021. Microplastics were detected across the sampling area, with spatial patterns related to ocean currents. The findings contribute to documentation of microplastic contamination in the Arctic, a rapidly changing and ecologically sensitive region.
Surface microplastics in the Kara Sea: from the Kara Gate to the 83°N
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A survey across the Kara Sea in the Russian Arctic found an average microplastic concentration of 0.124 items per cubic meter of surface water, with the highest levels at the Kara Gate strait — the main entry point from the Atlantic — suggesting external ocean inputs rather than the Ob and Yenisey rivers are the dominant source. The semi-enclosed geography of the Kara Sea means it may act as a trap for incoming microplastics, making it a pollution accumulation zone despite its remote location.
The Kara Gate is the main route for microplastics to enter the Kara Sea
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Researchers studied microplastic pollution in the Kara Sea by sampling with neuston nets from the Kara Gate to 83°N latitude in August 2021, measuring particle abundance, size, and morphology across different sea regions. They found an average abundance of 0.124 items/m3 with maximum concentrations at the Kara Gate, identifying it as the primary entry route for microplastics from the Barents Sea into the Kara Sea.
Microplastics in Arctic sea ice: a prime temporary sink for (micro-)plastics and a medium of transport
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This study found that Arctic sea ice contains high concentrations of microplastics, acting as a temporary sink that accumulates plastic from the water column — with concern that rapid sea ice loss due to climate change will release these stored particles back into the ocean.
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This Russian-language study measured microplastic contamination in the Barents and Kara Seas in 2019, two Arctic ocean regions experiencing rapid environmental change. The findings document plastic pollution in these remote polar waters, which serve as important ecosystems for fish, marine mammals, and seabirds.
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