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Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis
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This paper presents a standardized protocol for sampling microplastics from the ocean surface using a manta trawl net, covering methods for sample preparation, separation, and chemical identification. Standardized sampling and analysis methods are critical so that data from different research teams can be meaningfully compared.
Microplastic pollution in the marine environment is a scientific topic that has received increasing attention over the last decade. The majority of scientific publications address microplastic pollution of the sea surface. The protocol below describes the methodology for sampling, sample preparation, separation and chemical identification of microplastic particles. A manta net fixed on an »A frame« attached to the side of the vessel was used for sampling. Microplastic particles caught in the cod end of the net were separated from samples by visual identification and use of stereomicroscopes. Particles were analyzed for their size using an image analysis program and for their chemical structure using ATR-FTIR and micro FTIR spectroscopy. The described protocol is in line with recommendations for microplastics monitoring published by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter. This written protocol with video guide will support the work of researchers that deal with microplastics monitoring all over the world.
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Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis. [video article]
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This methods paper and companion video describe a standardized protocol for sampling microplastics from the sea surface using a manta net, then processing and chemically identifying particles using microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. Standardized sampling methods are critical for producing comparable microplastic data across different research groups and monitoring programs.
Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis
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Researchers developed and described a detailed protocol for collecting sea-surface microplastic samples using a manta net, including sample preparation, particle separation, image analysis for sizing, and ATR-FTIR and micro-FTIR chemical identification, intended to support harmonized global monitoring.
Manta Net: The Golden Method for Sampling Surface Water Microplastics in Aquatic Environments
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This review evaluated the manta net as the standard method for sampling surface water microplastics, comparing different net devices and sampling protocols used across studies while highlighting the need for methodological standardization in microplastic research.
Comparative study of three sampling methods for microplastics analysis in seawater
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Researchers compared three microplastic sampling methods for seawater — direct 0.45 µm filtration, 20 µm pre-concentration followed by 0.45 µm filtration, and Manta trawl with 150 µm mesh — finding orders-of-magnitude differences in reported abundance across methods, underscoring the critical need for standardized protocols.
Comparison between the traditional Manta net and an innovative device for microplastic sampling in surface marine waters
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Researchers compared a standard Manta net sampling device with a new microplastic sampler called MuMi for collecting microplastics from marine surface water, finding significant variability between the methods related to mesh size, sampling depth, and volume control. This comparison highlights the critical importance of standardizing sampling methods so that microplastic data from different studies can be meaningfully compared.
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