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Synthetic microplastic abundance and composition along a longitudinal gradient traversing the subtropical gyre in the North Atlantic Ocean
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Microplastic sampling along a longitudinal transect through the North Atlantic subtropical gyre found that polymer composition and abundance varied significantly by geographic position, with polystyrene and polyethylene dominating surface waters. Subsurface sampling revealed additional microplastic layers below the surface that manta trawl methods alone would miss.
Plastic pollution has been reported in the North Atlantic Ocean since the 1970s, yet limited data over subsequent decades pose challenges when assessing spatio-temporal trends in relation to global leakages and intervention strategies. This study quantified microplastics within the upper ocean along a longitudinal transect of the North Atlantic and its subtropical gyre. Microplastics were sampled from surface and subsurface (-25 m) water using a manta trawl and NIKSIN bottle respectively. The surface water polymer community varied significantly between geographic positions ('inshore', 'gyre', 'open ocean'), and was significantly influenced by fragment quantity. Compared to other positions, the North Atlantic gyre was associated with high concentrations of polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylic and polyamide fragments. Subsurface water was dominated by polyamide and polyester fibres. Backtracked 2-year Lagrangian simulations illustrated connectivity patterns. Continued monitoring of microplastics throughout the water column of the North Atlantic Ocean is required to address knowledge gaps and assess spatio-temporal trends.
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Distribution and transport of microplastics in the upper 1150 m of the water column at the Eastern North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, Canary Islands, Spain
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Researchers measured microplastic distribution throughout the upper 1,150 meters of the water column at the Eastern North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre near the Canary Islands, finding significant subsurface microplastic concentrations that help account for the 'missing plastic' discrepancy between surface measurements and estimated inputs. Vertical transport mechanisms including biofouling and physical mixing were identified as key drivers of subsurface microplastic distribution.
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