From 9 to 14 million metric tons of plastic enters the ocean every year. Microplastics – ranging from 1 micron to 5 millimeters – make up most of the plastic pieces found.Most
From 9 to 14 million metric tons of plastic enters the ocean every year. Microplastics – ranging from 1 micron to 5 millimeters – make up most of the plastic pieces found.
Most research has focused on surface waters, usually sampling just the top 15 to 50 centimeters using net tows, but a researcher from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is among an international team of scientists who has mapped microplastic distribution from the surface to the deep sea at a global scale.
The researchers synthesized depth-profile data from 1,885 stations collected between 2014 and 2024 to map microplastic distribution patterns by size and polymer type, while also evaluating potential transport mechanisms.
Results, published in Nature, reveal that microplastics are not just surface pollutants – they’re deeply embedded in the ocean’s structure. Ranging from a few to thousands of particles per cubic meter, their size determines how they move: smaller microplastics (1 to 100 micrometers) spread more evenly and penetrate deeper, while larger ones (100 to 5,000 micrometers) concentrate near the surface, especially within the top 100 meters of gyres. Gyres act like massive, slow-moving whirlpools that trap and concentrate floating debris – especially plastic.
Microplastics are becoming a measurable
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