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Microplastics in the Southern Ocean
Summary
Net tow surveys in the Southern Ocean in 2016 found 44 plastic pieces at five stations, confirming that microplastics reach even the remote Antarctic waters. The study computed total particle counts for the entire water column, providing a more complete estimate of microplastic burden than surface-only sampling.
A field survey to collect microplastics with sizes <5mm was conducted in the Southern Ocean in 2016. We performed five net-tows and collected 44 pieces of plastic. Total particle counts of the entire water column, which is free of vertical mixing, were computed using the surface concentration (particle count per unit seawater volume) of microplastics, wind speed, and significant wave height during the observation period. Total particle counts at two stations near Antarctica were estimated to be in the order of 100,000pieceskm-2.