The NCEI Marine Microplastics product is a global database of microplastics observations in marine settings. It can be used to improve water quality and protect ecosystems, especially coastal ecological habitats such as salt marshes and mangrove forests.
This product can also be used to validate remote sensing technologies that identify and characterize microplastics from space. In the long-run, this product can help guide microplastics mitigation strategies for the marine environment.
Where do I find marine microplastics data?
Microplastics Map Portal
Use the Microplastics Map Portal to display and download data by specific dates, locations, and types. You can view the data in an interactive map or a screen-reader-accessible table.
Use the filter section on the left to search for specific dates, coordinates, and data types, or use the selection tool to see all data in a specific region or area. Data are available in CSV, JSON, and GeoJSON formats.
See our help page for tips on using the portal to explore and download data.
How do I cite marine microplastics data?
Cite as: Nyadjro, Ebenezer; Webster, Jennifer; Boyer, Tim P.; Cebrian, Just; Collazo, Leonard; Kaltenberger, Gunnar; Larsen, Kirsten; Lau, Yee; Mickle, Paul; Toft, Tiffany; Wang, Zhankun (2018). The NOAA NCEI Global Marine Microplastics Data Collection (1972-present). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/NCEI-Marine-Microplastics. Accessed [date].
What kinds of data are available? Is there any cost?
The database includes data collected by professional and citizen scientists:
- Professional: Data collected by professional scientists in academia, government, or research missions
- Citizen: Volunteer groups or ship crews trained to collect data samples
Both Professional and Citizen scientist-collected data must go through the same quality control processes before being archived and added to the database. Professional data typically have more complete documentation and metadata, and may have thorough, consistent coverage.
All data in the NCEI Marine Microplastics database is free to access and use.
Data Usage Disclaimer: Microplastics vary in origin, density, chemical properties, morphology, size and color. There is currently no single combination of methods for sampling, extracting, analyzing, and reporting, which means that microplastic concentrations in the database may not always be comparable across studies. Review the archive metadata for more details about the data records (such as sampling protocols and instrumental analysis) before using the data.
Contact
Email: ncei.info@noaa.gov
What are Marine Microplastics?
Marine microplastics are plastics in oceans and coastal saltwater environments that are smaller than 5 mm (0.2 in). While microplastics primarily come from plastic materials like bottles and bags, they also enter ecosystems from clothes and cosmetics.
Marine microplastics are found from the sea surface to the sediment covering the ocean floor. In addition to harming aquatic organisms and ecosystems, microplastics pollution affects economies in many ways, including clean-up costs, the decline of fisheries, and coastal tourism.
One study estimates that 19 to 23 million metric tons, or 11%, of plastic waste generated globally in 2016 entered aquatic ecosystems. This estimate is expected to increase to 53 million metric tons per year by 2030.
How are microplastics created?
Microplastics are usually created on land and then are carried by rivers and wind to oceans, where they become part of the global ocean circulation system. Once in the ocean, fish and other marine organisms ingest microplastics. This can kill those organisms or become part of the food chain for fish and ultimately humans. The increase in microplastics pollution is a growing concern, affecting coastal communities, marine ecosystems, marine life, human health, and the economy.
Some ocean-based microplastics originate from lost fishing gear that breaks down over time through abrasion and biofouling. This prolonged breakdown releases microplastic fragments and fibers. Fish can consume these pieces of microplastic, which exposes them to toxic chemicals that can result in a variety of health problems including neurotoxicity, delayed or stymied growth, behavioral abnormalities, and even death.
Seafood is the main source of animal protein for approximately 20% of the global population (1.4 billion people). Marine microplastics endanger this source of protein by reducing the efficiency and productivity of aquaculture and commercial fisheries through fish mortality.
Data Submission Process
Please contact NCEI at ncei.info@noaa.gov to submit your microplastics data. We recommend using ASCII character encoding formats such as CSV or NetCDF, but there is no specific required format.
You may also use the provided NOAA-NCEI Microplastic Data Submission Excel template to report your data. Please refer to the “Data Dictionary” tab for descriptions of each column. Data submissions must include:
- Sampling date
- Latitude and longitude
- Sampling instrument or method
- Mesh or filter size
- Microplastic concentration and units
These data should be entered in the “MP_Data_Summary” tab of the Excel template. If available, additional particle characteristics (e.g., shape, color, size) may also be included in the “MP_Data_Detailed” tab of the Excel template.
Supporting Documentation
Each submission must include a summary of sampling protocols, analytical procedures, and quality control measures. See the NCEI Data Submission Guidelines for more information.
