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Synthetic microplastic abundance and composition along a longitudinal gradient traversing the subtropical gyre in the North Atlantic Ocean

Marine Pollution Bulletin 2022 47 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 45 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Simon Van Gennip, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Simon Van Gennip, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Juliette Penicaud, Juliette Penicaud, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Emily Penn, Emily Penn, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Emily Penn, Emily Penn, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson

Summary

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.

Polymers
PA PE PP
Study Type Environmental

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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