This PDF file includes:

• Supplementary Text
  
• fig. S1. Seasonal cycle of ocean surface salinities for 2013 provided by the Aquarius Mission (NASA and Space Agency of Argentina; http://aquarius.umaine.edu).
  
• fig. S2. Relationship between salinity (depths, 5 and 20 m) and surface plastic debris measured in the present study.
  
• fig. S3. Pie charts in number of items (upper) and surface area (lower) of the plastic types found in the Mediterranean Sea (left), SOGs (center), and Arctic Ocean (right).
  
• fig. S4. Images of different categories of microplastics found in the Arctic Ocean.
  
• fig. S5. Relationship between the estimates of total surface plastic load (2, 7); this work, coastal population, and presence of vessels per great basins: Arctic, Mediterranean (Med), North Atlantic (N Atl), South Atlantic (S Atl), North Pacific (N Pac), South Pacific (S Pac), and Indian Ocean.
  
• table S1. Size distribution of floating plastic debris collected for the present study.
  
• table S2. Number of items per tow (fibers, nonfibers, and total items) and concentrations in abundance and weight per square kilometer (excluding fibers).
  
• References (28, 29)

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