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Submesoscale variation in microplastic, zooplankton, and plastic to plankton ratio
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This dataset presents submesoscale measurements of microplastic and zooplankton concentrations and the ratio of plastic mass to zooplankton biomass from ocean surface samples, quantifying the spatial variability of plastic-to-plankton ratios at small scales. The plastic-to-plankton ratio is an important metric because organisms feeding at the surface may encounter far more plastic than natural prey in highly polluted regions.
Submesoscale variation in microplastic, zooplankton, and plastic to plankton ratio A) Microplastic numerical concentration (No. m-2); B) Microplastic mass concentration (mg m-2) ; C) Zooplankton biomass concentration (mg m-2) ; D) Ratio of microplastic dry mass to zooplankton dry mass. Figure 2.5 in Goldstein 2012 dissertation.
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Researchers measured microplastic and zooplankton abundance in surface waters of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea and found plastics at 90% of stations sampled, with microplastic densities comparable to zooplankton in some areas. The study highlights the potential for competition or confusion between microplastics and food items for zooplankton in this sea.
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During the Tara Pacific expedition (2016–2018), researchers collected and photographed vast numbers of plankton and particles from the surface of the Pacific and North Atlantic oceans, including microplastic particles captured alongside living microscopic organisms. The resulting imaging datasets — covering organisms from tiny phytoplankton to centimeter-scale zooplankton — provide an unprecedented baseline for studying how microplastics are distributed alongside marine life across two major ocean basins. These open datasets are a resource for future research on microplastic-plankton interactions at a global scale.
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.