Fig. 1

A and B Microplastic sampling and analysis techniques. A  According to the obtained data, the most popular sampling equipment to acquire microplastic samples was manta nets (45%), followed by pump and sieve systems (21%), neuston nets (14%), niskin bottles (14%), and plankton and bongo nets (both 3%). B Based on the standardised data, six different analysis technique categories were created. Of all respondents, 30% used techniques based on (stereo)microscopy + µ-FTIR, 22% on fluorescence (stereo)microscopy + µ-FTIR, 15% on (stereo)microscopy + ATR-FTIR, 15% on GC–MS, 11% on (fluorescence)(stereo)microscopy, and 7% on (stereo)microscopy + µ-Raman