Surface Ocean Plastic By Mass - Eriksen Et Al. (2014)

Estimates by Eriksen et al. (2014) on the mass of surface ocean debris floating at sea, differentiated by ocean basin and particle size.

Particle size categories range from small microplastics to macroplastics.

Estimates are based on results from 24 expeditions (over the period 2007–2013) across all five sub-tropical gyres, costal Australia, Bay of Bengal and the Mediterranean Sea conducting surface net tows (N = 680) and visual survey transects of large plastic debris (N = 891). These field-based results were combined with oceanographic modelling of floating debris dispersal and wind-driven vertical mixing to derive total oceanic figures.