Fig. 2: MP abundance and weather conditions.

a Dominant wind direction (indicated by the blue arrow) during the sample period observed at the sample site at the beginning of each sample period, b average microplastic (MP) particle count (with error bars representing 1σ) for each sample period (in m^-2 d^-1) with wind speed indicated by a black line and atmospheric pressure indicated by the blue line (collected at Cape Race weather station) showing increase in microplastic deposition in samples collected during the hurricane, and c percentage of microplastic particles (indicated by black bars, with error bars representing 1σ) relative to total number of particles deposited (in m⁻² d⁻¹) during each sample showing there was not preferential deposition of microplastics and increase in deposition of all particles during hurricane conditions, with date of sample commencement indicated below. Sample 1 may be contaminated, indicated by an anomalous proportion of microplastics to total particles.