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What are small‐size microplastic distributions telling us?
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This commentary discusses a study that found microplastics extending thousands of meters below the South Atlantic subtropical gyre, suggesting that standard surface net sampling has been missing a large fraction of small microplastics. The findings reshape understanding of where plastic goes in the ocean and why early estimates of 'missing plastic' may have been flawed.
Writing in this issue of Global Change Biology, Shiye Zhao and co-authors report a microplastic soup extending thousands of meters below the South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. This discovery contributes two pieces to the missing plastic puzzle- (1) nets have been under-sampling the smallest microplastic size fraction, which is actually not missing when using high-volume filtration, and (2) small microplastics in particular find their way below the surface. But their results also contribute several new questions, because some of what they found is quite surprising. This article is a Research Article on Zhao et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16089.
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Small Microplastics As a Main Contributor to Plastic Mass Balance in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre
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Researchers re-analyzed microplastic data from the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre and found that small microplastics (under 1 mm) constitute the dominant fraction of plastic mass in surface waters, contradicting previous estimates. The finding helps explain the apparent "missing plastic" problem and suggests that small fragments are a more significant pollution concern than previously recognized.
Large quantities of small microplastics permeate the surface ocean to abyssal depths in the South Atlantic Gyre
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Researchers discovered unexpectedly high concentrations of small microplastics, up to 244 pieces per cubic meter, from the ocean surface all the way down to near-seafloor depths in the South Atlantic. The study suggests that these tiny particles, mostly made of higher-density polymers, are far more abundant than previously estimated and distribute more evenly through the water column than larger microplastics, potentially making them a major but overlooked component of ocean plastic pollution.
Difference in the fate of surface and subsurface microplastics: an example for open and coastal waters
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Researchers compared the behavior of surface and subsurface microplastics in open ocean and coastal waters, finding that vertical mixing and biological processes move substantial quantities of plastic below the surface. Subsurface sampling revealed microplastics that would be missed by surface net tows alone. The findings suggest that surface-based microplastic monitoring significantly underestimates the total plastic burden in the ocean water column.
Are smaller microplastics missing?
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This study examined the size distribution of marine microplastics to determine whether small fragments below a certain size threshold are genuinely missing or simply undetected by current methods. The analysis suggests that the apparent decline in very small microplastics may reflect sampling and detection limitations rather than an actual absence.
Differences in the Fate of Surface and Subsurface Microplastics: A Case Study in the Central Atlantic
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Researchers studied microplastic distribution in the Central Atlantic and found that surface and subsurface samples differ not only in particle size but also in morphology, polymer types, abundance, and spatial distribution, driven by distinct hydrodynamic processes at the sea surface versus a few meters below.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.