Occurrence of Microplastics in Surface Waters of The Gulf of Lion (NW Mediterranean Sea)

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Progress in Oceanography
April 2018, Volume 163, Pages 214-220
Archimer
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2017.11.010 http://archimer.ifremer.fr
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00411/52202/
© 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Occurrence of microplastics in surface waters of the Gulf of


Lion (NW Mediterranean Sea)
1 * 1, 2 3 1 1, *
Schmidt Natascha , Thibault Delphine , Galgani François , Paluselli Andrea , Sempéré Richard

1
Aix Marseille Univ., Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France
2
MARBEC, IRD, LMI ICEMASA, Cape Town, South Africa
3
IFREMER, LER/PAC, 20600 Bastia, France

* Corresponding author : Richard Sempéré, email address : richard.sempere@mio.osupytheas.fr

natascha.schmidt@mio.osupytheas.fr ; delphine.thibault@ird.fr ; francois.galgani@ifremer.fr ;


andrea.paluselli@mio.osupytheas.fr

Abstract :

Between 2014 and 2016 a total of 43 microplastic samples were collected at six sampling stations in the
eastern section of the Gulf of Lion (located in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea), as well as
upstream of the Rhône River. Microplastics were found in every sample with highly variable
concentrations and masses. Concentrations ranged from 6 · 103 items km−2 to 1 · 106 items km−2 (with
an average of 112 · 103 items km−2), and mass ranged from 0.30 g km−2 to 1018 g km−2 DW (mean
61.92 ± 178.03 g km−2). The samples with the highest and lowest microplastic count originate both from
the Bay of Marseille. For the Bay of Marseille, it is estimated that the total microplastic load consist of
519 · 103 –101 · 106 items weighing 0.07–118 kg. Estimations for daily microplastic transport by the
Northern Current and the Rhône River, two important hydrologic features of the northwestern
Mediterranean Sea, range from 0.18 to 86.46 t and from 0.20 to 21.32 kg, respectively.
Particles < 1 mm2 clearly dominated sampling stations in the Northern Current, the Rhône River and its
plume (52, 53 and 61%, respectively), suggesting a long exposure time in the environment. Items
between 1 mm2 and 5 mm2 in size were the most abundant microplastics in Marseille Bay (55%), which
suggests coastal pollution sources or the removal of smaller particles from surface waters e.g. by
ballasting owing to the presence of epibionts.

Highlights

► High temporal and spatial variability in MP concentrations in the Gulf of Lion. ► Max. concentration:
6 2
1 · 10 items per km in Marseille (station #2). ► MP size distributions reflect different pollution sources.

Keywords : Marine litter, Microplastic, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Lion, Marseille Bay

Please note that this is an author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication following peer review. The definitive
publisher-authenticated version is available on the publisher Web site.
37 1. Introduction

38 Plastic and its chemical compounds have played an important role in the
39 Anthropocene and might threaten human health (Kobrosly et al., 2014; Tranfo et al., 2012;
40 Sathyanarayana 2008; Heudorf et al., 2007) and both terrestrial (Zhao et al., 2016; Lwanga et
41 al., 2016; Oehlmann et al., 2009) and marine environments (Przybylinska & Wyszkowski,
42 2016; Van Franeker & Law, 2015; Sigler, 2014). In 2014, 311 million tons of plastic were
43 produced worldwide, 15 % of which were consumed in Europe (PlasticsEurope, 2015). The
44 degradation of large plastic items into microplastics (≤ 5 mm) in the ocean is a slow and
45 heterogeneous process, varying with respect to the quality, shape and size of the plastic. This
46 process is driven by mechanical forcing (e.g., waves), salt water, and UV radiation (Ter Halle
47 et al., 2016). Because of its small size, micro debris can easily be ingested (e.g., Desforges et
48 al., 2015; Neves et al., 2015). Approximately 270 103 tons of plastic are suspected to float in
49 the world’s oceans (Eriksen et al., 2014). Estimates for floating microplastic loads range from
50 7 103 to 35 103 tons for global open-ocean surface waters (Cózar et al., 2014) or from 93 103
51 to 236 103 tons depending on the model used (Van Sebille et al., 2015). Plastic accounts for
52 60 to 80 % of all marine litter, followed in quantity by glass and metal (UNEP, 2009). About
53 370 109 plastic particles or 1,455 tons have been estimated to be floating on the surface of the
54 Mediterranean Sea (Ruiz-Orejón et al., 2016). Other estimates range from 756 to 2,969 tons
55 (Cózar et al., 2015) and from 874 to 2,576 tons (Suaria et al., 2016).

56 The Mediterranean Sea is a semi-enclosed basin subject to significant anthropogenic


57 pressures (e.g., The MerMex group, 2011; Blanfuné et al., 2016; Hassoun et al., 2015; Casale
58 et al., 2015). Marine debris, including microplastics, are a particularly important concern in
59 this region (Deudero & Alomar, 2015; Cózar et al., 2015; Ioakeimidis et al., 2014; Faure et
60 al., 2015; Pedrotti et al., 2016). Concerns about marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea were
61 first expressed in 1976 when the Barcelona Convention was signed with the goal of
62 preventing and abating marine and coastal pollution (UNEP, 2009). In subsequent years,
63 studies have been undertaken to better understand pollution sources and trajectories, through
64 approaches as modeling the transport of floating marine debris (Mansui et al., 2014).
65 However, knowledges on the spatial and temporal microplastic distribution remain limited
66 (Ruiz-Orejón et al., 2016; Suaria et al., 2016; Cózar et al., 2015). Their contents are highly
67 variable, although the sea surface circulation seems to be the main driver on the distribution
68 of floating marine litter whatever their sizes. Currents affect time-dependent movements that
69 remain difficult to predict, and cause several non-trivial Lagrangian mechanisms (Zambianchi

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70 et al., 2014). In semi-enclosed seas, such as the Mediterranean Sea, aggregation patterns are
71 not permanent and high variability is observed at a small scale (Suaria et al., 2016). Wind-
72 induced effects on floating material and Stokes drift velocities require further investigation,
73 such as refinement of regional models. Nevertheless, some available scenarios could be
74 hypothesized with possible retention areas in the northwestern Mediterranean and the
75 Tyrrhenian sub-basins (Poullain et al., 2012; Mansui et al., 2014). The Gulf of Lion is in the
76 northwestern sector of the Mediterranean Sea, and its hydrodynamics are influenced by
77 shallow water depths of the shelf, wind regimes (Mistral and Marin), the Northern Current
78 (NC), and freshwater inputs from the Rhône River (Gatti et al., 2006; Fraysse et al., 2014).
79 The NC has a high seasonal variability: while a decrease in intensity is observed in summer, it
80 becomes faster, deeper and narrower in winter (Millot, 1991). Intrusion of the NC onto the
81 shelf of the Gulf of Lion has been observed (Ross et al., 2016; Barrier et al., 2016 and
82 references therein). This productive shelf is also highly exploited for commercial fishing
83 (Bănaru et al., 2013) and the coastal area is strongly influenced by tourism activities. Given
84 this areas great economic, touristic and environmental significance, monitoring threats, such
85 as pollution sources, is essential. Therefore, the primary goal of this study was to provide
86 insight into the temporal and spatial distribution of microplastics in the eastern sector of the
87 Gulf of Lion. Furthermore, we wanted to examine relationships between microplastic size
88 distributions and possible pollution sources and transportation routes.

89

90 2. Materials and Methods

91 Following the framework of the Particule-MERMEX and PLASTOX projects,


92 microplastic debris were collected at different times between February 2014 and April 2016
93 (Table S1) in three distinct areas with specific hydrodynamic characteristics (Figure 1) within
94 the eastern sector of the Gulf of Lion (northwestern Mediterranean Sea). The first area is
95 located 40 km offshore at the eastern part (station #1, also called ‘Antares site’) and is within
96 the direct influence of the Northern Current, which runs east to west along the shelf break
97 over 2,475 m of water (Martini et al., 2016). The second area includes the Bay of Marseille
98 (stations #2, 3 and 4), which is significantly influenced by a population of approximately 1
99 million inhabitants and by the daily volume of about 250 103 m3 of waste waters released
100 from the Marseille-Cortiou wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) (Savriama et al., 2015;
101 Tedetti et al., 2012). To the west, the third study area is the downstream part of the Rhône
102 River (station #6, Arles, 48 km from the river mouth) and within the dilution plume (station

4
103 #5, about 2.5 km from the mouth) (Sempéré et al., 2000). Sampling dates, GPS coordinates,
104 microplastic concentration, mean wind speed and wind direction are provided in the
105 supplementary data (Table S1) along with information on precipitation. Surface current
106 speeds and directions were extracted from the Mars 3D model (http://marc.ifremer.fr).

107

108 Fig. 1.

109 The sampling stations situated in the eastern Gulf of Lion (A) including Antares site (station
110 1), Marseille Bay site (stations 2-4) and Rhône River site (stations 5-6). The Rhône River
111 plume as observed during north/northwest wind conditions and the Northern Current (NC) are
112 also indicated. Zoom of the Bay of Marseille (B) with the local WWTP (Cortiou). Map
113 modified after Schlitzer, R., 2009.

114

115 Microplastic samples were collected using a Manta net (0.50 m x 0.15 m opening)
116 mounted with a 780 µm mesh size and towed horizontally at the surface. Ten samples from
117 March and April 2016 were collected (in Marseille at stations 3 and 4) with a 330 µm mesh
118 size (Suppl. Table 1). Sampling was only conducted under low swell conditions (< 1 m). The
119 net was towed for 20 minutes at an average speed of 2.5 knots approximately 50 m behind the
120 research vessel. It was towed at a slight angle to avoid disturbances caused by the boat’s
121 wake. Samples from the Rhône River (station #6) were collected from a fixed location on the
122 dock of the river. Sampled superficies at this station were calculated by comparing the flow
123 rate during sampling with reference flow rates and river speeds. Lower-limit river speeds
124 were used for estimates, since river speeds tend to be slower near the dock.

125 The net was carefully rinsed and the content of the cod-end was poured into a 1 L
126 glass bottle, preserved with a buffered seawater formalin solution (final concentration 5 %),

5
127 and kept in cold and dark conditions until further analysis. Samples were then sieved (mesh
128 size 125 µm), and rinsed with ultrapure water (ISO 3696). Plastic debris were picked out with
129 tweezers under a dissecting microscope. Fibers were not taken into account due to the high
130 risk of contamination. No Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) Analysis was
131 performed to verify the nature of the items, so despite all efforts to maximize result reliability,
132 it cannot be excluded that some non-plastic items were estimated to be microplastics.

133 The number, size and shape of each item was identified using a ZooScan©
134 (HYDROPTIC SARL). Each item was placed on the screen of the ZooScan without any
135 water. Surface area measurements in pixels were obtained using the ImageJ software and then
136 converted into mm2 and the Equivalent Spherical Diameter (ESD). Plastic items ≤ 5 mm were
137 considered. All microplastics from each sample were then weighed (Mettler AE 240,
138 reliability ± 0.1 mg). Microplastic abundance (items km-2) and dry weight (g km-2) were
139 calculated for each sample using the towing distance and the net opening surface. Analysis of
140 variance (one-way and two-way ANOVA) with a 0.05 level of significance was performed to
141 assess whether the microplastic abundance and size distribution varied with space (stations)
142 and time. The Tukey test was used whenever significant differences were detected. All
143 statistical analyses were performed using R version 3.3.2.

144

145 3. Results and Discussion

146 3.1. Microplastic abundance

147 Microplastic abundance ranged from 6 103 to 1 106 (mean 96 103) items km-2 in the
148 Marseille Bay area, from 33 103 to 400 103 (mean 113 103) items km-2 in the Rhône River
149 plume, from 7 103 to 69 103 (mean 34 103) items km-2 in the river itself and from 9 103 to 916
150 103 (mean 212 103) items km-2 off-shore (Fig. 2, top). The highest microplastic concentration
151 (1 106 items km-2) was observed at station #2 (Marseille Bay area). The day this sample was
152 collected was characterized by calm conditions with no noteworthy surface currents near the
153 station. In contrast, the other two stations on the coast of Marseille, stations #3 and #4,
154 showed very low particle concentrations (averages 20 103 and 10 103 items km-2,
155 respectively). While a comparison between these both stations and the station #2 is difficult,
156 because the samples were collected in different years (2016 vs. 2014), some assumptions can
157 still be considered. Goldstein et al. (2013) reported that a high spatial heterogeneity for
158 microplastic concentrations could be found not only at a large scale but also on a smaller scale

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159 for samples taken at distances of 10 km from one another. Heterogeneous spatial debris
160 distribution can be the result of currents, wave- and wind-driven turbulences, river inputs or
161 hydrodynamic features such as upwelling, downwelling, gyres or fronts (e.g., Kukulka et al.,
162 2012; Suaria and Aliani, 2014; Collignon et al., 2012). More generally, high concentrations of
163 microplastics, especially small fragments, are found in coastal waters because of the
164 proximity of densely populated areas, (Pedrotti et al., 2016) and continental inputs from the
165 atmosphere or rivers (Collignon et al., 2012). Point pollutions could also play an important
166 role in the Bay of Marseille, where the fierce northwestern Mistral wind can transport litter
167 from city streets into coastal waters. Another possible source of microplastics in the Bay of
168 Marseille is the local sewage facility (Cortiou) where treated wastewater enters the sea in the
169 southeastern part of the city. On March 17, 2016 a slight surface current coming from Cortiou
170 at a speed of approximately 0.5 m s-1 entered the area of stations #3 and 4. The microplastic
171 concentrations observed that day were the highest ever found at station #4 (15 103 items km-2)
172 and the second highest for station #3 (27 103 items km-2). Interestingly, microplastic
173 abundance was always higher at station #3 compared to station #4, in spite of their
174 geographical proximity (p < 0.05).

175 Our median concentration (31 103 items km-2) was about one third of the mean value,
176 highlighting potential surges in microplastic presence, possibly linked to climatic and
177 hydrodynamic events. Hydrodynamic processes influencing microplastic distribution are e.g.
178 vertical mixing or eddies and anticyclonic gyres. The latter of which are unsteady formations
179 in the Mediterranean Sea (Pedrotti et al., 2016), but could lead to punctual increases in
180 regional microplastic abundances. Additionally, in our study area, there is the Northern
181 Current, which varies greatly in intensity, depth, and position (Millot, 1991). Data collected at
182 station #1 showed temporal variability, with concentrations of microplastics being
183 significantly higher on March 10, 2014 (p < 0.05) when the Northern Current was fast and
184 narrow with maximum speeds of approximately 0.9 m s-1. However, triplicated trawls
185 exhibited a range of microplastic abundances from 103 103 to 916 103 items km-2 at this
186 sampling date, implying that a nine fold difference in abundances can be observed in the same
187 sampling area within two hours. This further highlights the strong temporal variability
188 observed for microplastic concentrations. Overall no seasonal differences were detected (p >
189 0.05), but the low number of observations limits the strength of any comparison. Goldstein et
190 al. (2013) observed seasonal heterogeneity at much larger scale in the northeastern Pacific
191 Ocean between summer 2009 and fall 2010.

7
192 Floating debris transported by the NC could be transported to the Balearic Islands,
193 where models calculated high beaching probabilities (Mansui et al., 2014), or to the seafloor
194 which is known to be a (micro-) plastic sink (Claessens et al., 2011; Ioakeimidis et al., 2014;
195 Woodall et al., 2014). Reasons of microplastic sedimentation can be the nature of the plastic
196 material, (if its density is higher than the one of seawater, Tekman et al., 2017), the biofouling
197 accumulation on microplastic surfaces (Woodall et al., 2014), the incorporation of free
198 microplastics into marine aggregates or the incorporation of microplastics into fast-sinking
199 faecal pellets after ingestion by zooplanktons and fishes (Cole et al., 2013).

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200

201 Fig. 2.

202 Microplastic abundance (top; particles km-2) and weight (bottom; g dry weight km-2) for the
203 six stations studied at the three sites. For samples collected the same day at the same station,
204 points represent the averaged values and error bars the standard deviation. n = overall number

9
205 of samples taken at this station. Note: the weight of one sample collected on 10/03/14 was not
206 available and the data point hence only represents the weight of the two other samples
207 collected this day at station #1.

208

209 The overall average microplastic abundance for our samples was 112 103 items km-2,
210 which is in the same range as other areas in the northwestern basin, where mean densities
211 have been estimated to 115 103 items km-2 (Collignon et al., 2012), 130 103 items km-2 (Faure
212 et al., 2015) and 150 103 items km-2 (De Lucia et al., 2014). Higher amounts were measured
213 for the entire Mediterranean basin (243 103 items km-2, Cózar et al., 2015), due to high
214 concentrations in some Mediterranean areas. Densely populated areas as the semi-enclosed
215 Adriatic Sea and the Levantine Basin were characterized by high densities of 1,050 103 (max:
216 4,600 103; Suaria et al., 2015) and 1,518 103 (max: 65 106; Van der Hal, 2017) items km-2,
217 respectively. Our results are consistent with previous studies and indicate that the
218 northwestern Mediterranean Sea contains similar mean microplastic concentrations as the
219 Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (mean: 134 103 items km-2 and 124 103 items km-2, respectively,
220 Eriksen et al., 2014). Hereby it needs to be considered that the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are
221 also known to be highly heterogeneous, with microplastic accumulation and non-
222 accumulation zones. Examples for a heavily contaminated area are the East Asian Seas, where
223 a mean microplastic abundance of 1,720 103 items km-2 was measured (Isobe et al., 2015).

224 Microplastic abundances in the Rhône River at Arles (station #6; 34 103 ± 19 103
225 items km-2; net size 0.50 m x 0.15 m, mesh size 780 µm) were relatively low, but were similar
226 to values reported by De Alencastro (2014) upstream at Chancy (~ 52 103 items km-2; net size
227 0.60 m x 0.18 m, mesh size 300 µm). In comparison, a mean microplastic abundance of 893
228 103 items km-2 was found in the Rhine River, a watercourse flowing through highly
229 industrialized areas, such as North-Rhine Westphalia (Germany), where many plastic
230 factories are located (Mani et al., 2015). Concentrations observed in the Rhône River plume
231 (station #5, up to 400 103 items km-2) were higher than in the river itself, suggesting that the
232 Rhône River – sea interface may generate a temporal accumulation zone for debris. In
233 general, however, the area covered by our six sampling stations is not considered to be a
234 retention area, but can better be described as a “transit area”. The size of the Mediterranean
235 basin reduces the potential for formation of permanent gyres as in the Atlantic, Pacific and
236 Indian Oceans, where plastic often concentrates (Cózar et al., 2015).

10
237 At the river mouth, microplastic concentrations were either significantly greater (p <
238 0.05) or similar to those observed upstream in the Rhône River. Concerning the river plume,
239 we should highlight the similitude in zooplankton composition of two samples collected with
240 the same Manta trawl, first, on the 10/03/14 at the station #1 (NC) and then (18/03/14), at the
241 Rhône River Plume station (station #5). High abundances (> 1,000 individuals per sample) of
242 Velella velella, a free-floating hydrozoan, were observed at both dates (Thibault D. pers.
243 com.), implying a potential intrusion of water masses from the NC onto the shelf. Such
244 intrusions have already been observed before (Barrier et al., 2016). Salinity data from the
245 Mars 3D model support the hypothesis: while the Rhône River plume was extended in all
246 directions on 10/03/14 and the following days, saltier surface waters pushed from the eastern
247 direction into the area from 16/03/14 on and thus, reduced the extension area of the river
248 plume. During the period examined, the velocity of the NC flowing through station #1 was
249 about 0.4 m s-1 (Suppl. Table 1), but currents leaving the main branch in northwestern
250 directions flowed at reduced speeds of about 0.2 m s-1. At this speed range (0.2-0.4 m s-1),
251 water masses could have travelled about 140-275 km in eight days, which is consistent with
252 the straight line distance (120 km) between both stations. However, we would like to point out
253 that these are only indications, since an accurate model would be needed to simulate the exact
254 trajectory of the water masses and microplastics in question.

255

256 3.2. Microplastic weight

257 Microplastic dry weight showed a similar variability, ranging from 0.30 g DW km-2 to
258 1018 g DW km-2, with the maximum observed in Marseille Bay (Fig. 2, bottom). An average
259 of 61.92 g DW km-2 (± 178.03 g DW km-2) was found in the study area. This value is similar
260 to averages of 60 and 63 g DW km-2 reported for the western part of the northwestern
261 Mediterranean Sea (Collignon et al., 2012) and the upstream part of the Rhône River (De
262 Alencastro, 2014), respectively.

263 An estimated surface area of 87 km2 of the Bay of Marseille would provide a total
264 microplastic load of 0.07 to 118 kg (mean 9.94 kg), representing a range of concentrations
265 from 0.5 106 to 101 106 (mean 8 106) microplastic pieces in surface waters. For the Rhône
266 River, the flow rate used for calculations varied between 1,150 m3 s-1 and 1,600 m3 s-1 during
267 the sampling period. Using minimum and maximum concentration and weight values, we
268 calculated a daily microplastic spill of 0.20 – 21.32 kg (dry weight), representing 10 106 - 40

11
269 106 items discharged by the Rhône River into the Mediterranean Sea. Similarly, microplastic
270 loads for the Northern Current were calculated using volumetric transport rates of 0.7 Sv
271 (Conan and Millot, 1995) and 2 Sv (Petrenko, 2003) and the minimum and maximum
272 concentration and weight values. This method provided an estimate of daily transport ranging
273 from 0.18 to 86.46 tons (dry weight) of microplastic, representing 4 109 to 1 1012 items. These
274 calculations give minimum ranges, since they are based on the assumption that microplastics
275 concentrate within 15 cm under the surface. Turbulences, especially in rivers, may however
276 transfer microplastics through several meters of the water column. As interesting as they are,
277 these extrapolations should be considered with caution, since microplastic abundances show a
278 high amount of variability and are difficult to predict.

279

280 3.3. Microplastic size distribution

281 The mean size of microplastic was 1.48 ± 0.88 mm, however significant differences (p
282 < 0.01) were observed between samples from the Bay of Marseille (stations # 2-4) and all
283 other sampling stations. For better visualization of the size distribution of our samples, we
284 calculated the equivalent spherical diameter (ESD) of each microplastic particle (Figure 3). A
285 general exponential distribution curve was observed with the smallest items being the most
286 important, except in the Bay of Marseille, where microplastics were more evenly distributed
287 over the size range. The overall size distribution observed in this study closely resembles
288 those observed for the Mediterranean Sea (Ruiz-Orejón et al., 2016; Cózar et al., 2015), open
289 ocean waters (Cózar et al., 2014) and the Northeast Pacific Ocean (Goldstein et al., 2013).
290 Manta nets are the most commonly used sampling device for microplastic sampling in aquatic
291 ecosystems and were also used in this study. The mesh size of the net can influence the size
292 distribution as well as the speed of the tow, as smaller particles avoiding the net can be forced
293 aside from the net opening or large particles can squeeze out through the mesh. This study
294 used mainly a 780 µm mesh sized net and a 330 µm mesh sized net only for ten sampling
295 events at stations # 3 and #4 (Suppl. Table 1). We expected to collect more 0.0-0.4 mm items
296 at both concerned stations (#3 and #4) by using the 330 µm mesh sized net, but microplastics
297 of this size class were observed neither in samples from the 330 µm mesh size, nor in samples
298 from the 780 µm mesh size. No influence on the microplastic size distribution caused by the
299 use of these different mesh sizes was hence observed. This was statistically confirmed by
300 removing all samples collected with the 330 µm net from the dataset and repeating the one-
301 way ANOVA with the following post-hoc test and obtaining the same significant results.

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302

303 Size distribution can be an indicator of the source of marine debris and of its distance
304 to the shoreline. While Pedrotti et al. (2016) observed that small sized microplastics were
305 more abundant within the first kilometre adjacent to the coastline, Isobe et al. (2015) found
306 that the percentage of larger plastic particles is typically greater in areas close to the pollution
307 source.

308

309

310 Fig. 3.

13
311 Microplastic size distributions (ESD in mm) measured at six sampling stations with a
312 ZooScan apparatus. Error bars represent the standard deviation.

313

314 The surface area distributions of stations #1 (NC) and 6 (Rhône River) clearly
315 resemble each other. Both are dominated by small particles (< 1 mm2: 52 and 53 %,
316 respectively, Figure 4). This size class only represented 27 % for stations in the Bay of
317 Marseille, but represented 61 % of microplastic particles at the Rhône River plume. The
318 second size class (1-5 mm2) was the most abundant in Marseille Bay (55 %). The largest
319 pieces (> 10 mm2) were poorly represented (< 5 %) at all stations. The size class distributions
320 are likely related to the distance of the collected particles from pollution sources. In the case
321 of station #1 (NC), it is likely that microplastics were transported by the Northern Current and
322 may have originated in regions farther east, such as the Italian coast. At station #6 (Rhône
323 River), the size distribution suggests that the collected microplastics were in the Rhône River
324 watershed for some time and certainly originated from highly industrialized and/or populated
325 regions higher upstream (e.g., Lyon with ~ 500,000 inhabitants). The position of the Rhône
326 River plume varies based on wind and river flow; therefore, debris will be contributed from
327 both the river itself and surrounding coastal areas in variable amounts. Since the smallest
328 particles are most abundant here, it is probable that these microplastics, have also been
329 transported by water masses for some time before collection. In the Bay of Marseille (stations
330 #2-4) the dominance of larger particles (1-5 mm2) suggests that the microplastics collected in
331 this area were closer to their source and mainly originate from the urban area. A more
332 efficient removal of the smallest floating particles in this region, via ballasting due to
333 epiphytic growth, could also be a possible explanation (Ryan, 2015).

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334

335 Fig. 4.

336 Spatial occurrence of microplastics and surface area distribution in the Northern Current
337 (station #1), the Bay of Marseille (stations #2-4), the Rhône River plume (station #5) and the
338 Rhône River (station #6). The size of the pie charts is hereby proportional to overall particle
339 concentrations. Map modified after Schlitzer, R., 2009.

340

341 4. Conclusions

342 This study provides additional data on microplastic occurrence in the eastern Gulf of
343 Lion. Our results revealed that surface water microplastic concentrations and size
344 distributions in this area affected by anthropogenic impacts are consistent with those already

15
345 published for the western Mediterranean Sea. Significant temporal and spatial heterogeneity
346 was observed for microplastic abundances. Our results confirm that the Rhône River, large
347 cities, such as Marseille, and the Northern Current act as sources and/or transportation routes
348 of microplastics collected in the northwestern basin of the Mediterranean Sea. As our
349 microplastics are floating, it was shown that it can be pertinent to study the zooplankton
350 composition of samples additionally to currentology data, in order to improve our knowledge
351 on microplastic transport in the sea.

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371 Acknowledgments

372 This study was conducted as part of MERMEX/MISTRALS, the JPI Oceans
373 PLASTOX and PARTICULE-region PACA and is a contribution to the international LOICZ
374 program. We acknowledge the technical support provided by the Service Atmosphere Mer
375 (SAM), the Microscopie et Imagerie (MIM)-M I O platforms. We sincerely thank the captain
376 and crew of N. O. Antedon II and Thethys, as well as Sandrine Ruitton, who kindly allowed
377 sampling time during her diving trips. We thank Maryvonne Henry and Anne Delmont for
378 help with sample collection. Maria Luiza Pedrotti’s work group from LOV laboratory kindly
379 shared their ZooScan expertise. Thanks to Javier Castro-Jimenez and Vincent Fauvelle from
380 M I O for revising an earlier version of the manuscript. The reviewers provided very
381 constructive comments on the MS and are kindly acknowledged. The project leading to this
382 publication has received funding from European FEDER Fund under project 1166-39417. A
383 PhD scholarship for N. Schmidt was provided by Agence de l’Eau.

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404 Barrier, N., Petrenko, A.A., Ourmières, Y., 2016. Strong intrusions of the Northern
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