Microplastics in the Southern Ocean

Atsuhiko Isobe; Kaori Uchiyama-Matsumoto; Keiichi Uchida; Tadashi Tokai

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.09.037

Microplastics in the Southern Ocean

Mar Pollut Bull. 2017 Jan 15;114(1):623-626. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.09.037. Epub 2016 Sep 26.

Authors

Atsuhiko Isobe¹, Kaori Uchiyama-Matsumoto², Keiichi Uchida³, Tadashi Tokai⁴

Affiliations

¹ Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-Koen, Kasuga 816-8580, Japan. Electronic address: aisobe@riam.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
² Observation and Research Center for Ocean Systems, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan. Electronic address: uchiko.kaori@gmail.com.
³ Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan. Electronic address: kuchida@kaiyodai.ac.jp.
⁴ Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan. Electronic address: tokai@kaiyodai.ac.jp.

PMID: 27686822
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.09.037

Abstract

A field survey to collect microplastics with sizes <5mm was conducted in the Southern Ocean in 2016. We performed five net-tows and collected 44 pieces of plastic. Total particle counts of the entire water column, which is free of vertical mixing, were computed using the surface concentration (particle count per unit seawater volume) of microplastics, wind speed, and significant wave height during the observation period. Total particle counts at two stations near Antarctica were estimated to be in the order of 100,000pieceskm^-2.

Keywords: Concentration; Mesoplastics; Microplastics; Total particle count.

MeSH terms

Antarctic Regions
Environmental Monitoring / methods*
Oceans and Seas
Plastics / analysis*
Seawater / chemistry*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*
Wind

Substances

Plastics
Water Pollutants, Chemical