Microplastics in Galveston Bay tributaries, Texas, 2020-2021

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Galveston Bay Estuary Program, collected surface water samples for microplastics analysis from selected Galveston Bay, Texas tributaries. These data were collected to establish a baseline dataset documenting the distribution and extent of microplastic pollution within the watershed. This data release documents microplastic counts and concentrations by size, morphology, and polymer type at 10 sites sampled under varying hydrologic conditions during June 2020–September 2021.