Airborne and marine microplastics in the Southern Ocean environment

In recent years, microplastic transport through the atmosphere has gained interest. This pathway allows microplastics to reach remote regions of the world and draws attention to the impact which they may have on global climate processes and human health. Remote regions, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, are currently under-researched and the understanding of airborne microplastics still in its infancy. Atmospheric deposition and seawater samples were collected on board a RV Tangaroa voyage, which sailed from Wellington, New Zealand to the Ross Sea, Antarctica in January 2021. Marine and atmospheric microplastics were collected and analysed spectroscopically to confirm polymer composition. The findings from this study will be discussed, highlighting the ubiquitous nature of microplastics throughout the Southern Ocean. This study contributes a unique data set from a remote region of the world, and further develops our understanding of marine-atmosphere fluxes of microplastics.