Journal
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volume 185, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114371
Keywords
Plastic; Polymer; Marine; Pollution; Lagrangian tracking; Fragments
Funding
- Travel Edge
- TOMRA
- SAP
- Red Ensign Group
- 11th Hour Racing
- Slaughter and May
- Travel Edge
- TOMRA
- SAP
- Red Ensign Group
- Travel Edge
- 11th Hour Racing
- TOMRA
- Slaughter and May
- SAP
- Red Ensign Group
- 11th Hour Racing
- Slaughter and May
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This study quantified microplastics in the North Atlantic Ocean and its subtropical gyre, revealing high concentrations of polymer fragments in the gyre and dominant presence of polyamide and polyester fibers in the subsurface water. Lagrangian simulations showed connectivity patterns of microplastics. Continued monitoring is necessary to address knowledge gaps and assess spatio-temporal trends.
Plastic pollution has been reported in the North Atlantic Ocean since the 1970s, yet limited data over subsequent decades pose challenges when assessing spatio-temporal trends in relation to global leakages and intervention strategies. This study quantified microplastics within the upper ocean along a longitudinal transect of the North Atlantic and its subtropical gyre. Microplastics were sampled from surface and subsurface (-25 m) water using a manta trawl and NIKSIN bottle respectively. The surface water polymer community varied significantly between geographic positions ('inshore', 'gyre', 'open ocean'), and was significantly influenced by fragment quantity. Compared to other positions, the North Atlantic gyre was associated with high concentrations of polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylic and polyamide fragments. Subsurface water was dominated by polyamide and polyester fibres. Backtracked 2-year Lagrangian simulations illustrated connectivity patterns. Continued monitoring of microplastics throughout the water column of the North Atlantic Ocean is required to address knowledge gaps and assess spatio-temporal trends.
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