MICRO-FATE project to investigate microplastic in the Pacific Ocean

An international team of researchers are intending to find out where microplastic accumulates in the ocean, how it is degraded, and the effects that it has on the environment.

A five-week expedition from Vancouver to Singapore will see the research team take and conserve samples for upcoming laboratory analysis, in addition to performing initial experiments.

To date, there is no detailed data on where microplastic accumulates and how much exists in the oceans, with previous estimates relying on computer modelling, individual data, and observations from the air.

Dr Annika Jahnke, from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, said: “We want to provide substantiation for these estimates and to find out what happens to the plastic in the ocean and what effects microplastic has on the environment.”

One of the researchers’ primary objectives is to collect samples from the surface water, the water column, and from the seabed, to find out more about the vertical distribution of the plastic particles and to identify potential gradients with regard to concentration, composition, age, and coverage with biofilms.

The analysis of the samples from the seabed is also expected to provide information on plastic material in the sediments and on where microplastic ends up in the sea.