The distribution of microplastics in the surface layer of the Atlantic Ocean from the subtropics to the equator according to visual analysis

This study reports the levels of plastic contamination in the Atlantic Ocean between 35 degrees N and 32 degrees S during the 1st stage of the 79th cruise of the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh from December 12, 2019, to January 4, 2020. A subsurface pump system and a Manta net were used for seawater filtration. Twenty-seven samples were visually analyzed with a microscope. It was found that almost every subsurface sample contained potentially plastic particles, which were classified according to their type and size. Plastic fragments were more commonly found in the samples taken from the surface. In the subsurface layer, the majority of the detected particles were fibers. These results also indicate that minimal concentrations of plastics tend to be found near the equator and to the north of the Canary Islands. The maximum microplastic concentrations were found in tropical zones. The obtained results are in good agreement with previous models and field studies.

Automated summary

This study investigated plastic contamination levels in the Atlantic Ocean between 35 degrees N and 32 degrees S during a specific cruise, finding that almost every subsurface sample contained potential plastic particles, with plastic fragments more common in surface samples and fibers predominant in subsurface samples. The study also revealed that minimal plastic concentrations tend to be found near the equator and to the north of the Canary Islands, while the highest microplastic concentrations were observed in tropical zones. The results obtained were consistent with previous models and field studies.