Microplastic Field Survey of Charleston Harbor and Winyah Bay, South Carolina

A field survey of microplastic pollution in Charleston Harbor and Winyah Bay was conducted in the summer of 2013 and 2014. Microplastic abundance was quantified in intertidal sediment, subtidal sediment, and the sea surface microlayer. Collected microplastics were categorized as fibers, foam, fragments, or spheres. Collected microplastic size fractions were 63, 150, and 500 microns.<br>In Figure 1, amount of plastic per square meter is depicted as a red gradient, with darker colors indicating greater microplastic abundance. Amount of plastic per 4 L collected in the sea surface microlayer is depicted as a purple gradient with darker colors indicating greater microplastic abundance.