Fig. 1. Near-surface depth-integrated total microplastic particle inventories at year 2020 in four simulations.

Abbreviations are LC (Low Concentration), HC (High Concentration), and MC (Moderate Concentration). Microplastic parameters are different between models and therefore produce different surface concentrations and particle inventories. Greater biological interaction with microplastic (e.g., larger marine snow/microplastic aggregation rates and larger zooplankton relative grazing selectivities for microplastic) result in lower near-surface microplastic inventories. Units are microplastic particles km⁻² in the top 100 meters of the ocean. Note the colour scale is logarithmic.