We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Large Accumulation of Micro-sized Synthetic Polymer Particles in the Sea Surface Microlayer
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that the ocean's sea surface microlayer — a millimeter-thin layer at the very surface — accumulates microplastics at far higher concentrations than just below the surface, and that standard surface net sampling misses this enrichment. The study demonstrates that existing monitoring significantly underestimates surface microplastic abundance.
Determining the exact abundance of microplastics on the sea surface can be susceptible to the sampling method used. The sea surface microlayer (SML) can accumulate light plastic particles, but this has not yet been sampled. The abundance of microplastics in the SML was evaluated off the southern coast of Korea. The SML sampling method was then compared to bulk surface water filtering, a hand net (50 μm mesh), and a Manta trawl net (330 μm mesh). The mean abundances were in the order of SML water > hand net > bulk water > Manta trawl net. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) identified that alkyds and poly(acrylate/styrene) accounted for 81 and 11%, respectively, of the total polymer content of the SML samples. These polymers originated from paints and the fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) matrix used on ships. Synthetic polymers from ship coatings should be considered to be a source of microplastics. Selecting a suitable sampling method is crucial for evaluating microplastic pollution.
More Papers Like This
A rapid method for assessing the accumulation of microplastics in the sea surface microlayer (SML) of estuarine systems
AI summary Read the abstract
A method was developed for quickly sampling microplastics from the very thin surface layer of the ocean (the sea surface microlayer), finding that microplastics were enriched there relative to deeper water. The ocean surface microlayer is important because it is where gas exchange with the atmosphere occurs and where many organisms feed.
Plastic Accumulation in the Sea Surface Microlayer: An Experiment-Based Perspective for Future Studies
AI summary Read the abstract
This experimental study examined how plastic particles accumulate in the sea surface microlayer — the thin film at the ocean-air interface that supports unique microbial communities. Microplastics were found to concentrate in this layer, potentially disrupting gas exchange and the biology of surface-dwelling organisms.
Occurrence and Distribution of Microplastics in the Sea Surface Microlayer in Jinhae Bay, South Korea
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers measured microplastic contamination in the sea surface microlayer — the thin boundary layer at the very top of the ocean — in Jinhae Bay, South Korea, and found high concentrations of both paint resin particles and conventional plastics. The study adds a rarely sampled environmental compartment to the picture of coastal microplastic distribution.
Sea-surface retention effect shapes ocean microplastic fibers
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that longer plastic microfibers tend to get "trapped" right at the ocean's surface, in a thin film called the sea-surface microlayer, rather than sinking or spreading evenly through the water, likely because they get physically pinned there. This matters because that surface layer is where a lot of marine life feeds and where air meets sea, so understanding which microplastic fibers linger there helps researchers figure out how these pollutants might enter the food chain and eventually reach us.
Difference in the fate of surface and subsurface microplastics: an example for open and coastal waters
AI summary Read the abstract
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.
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.