The proposed methods for my thesis project Characterization & Distribution of Sea Surface Microplastics: an Inshore-Offshore Gradient off the Olympic Peninsula was presented at the Seattle Aquarium's Microplastic Methodology Workshop on Oct. 1-2, 2019.

Discussions during the workshop resulted in the development of working groups, the understood needs for community science in microplastic monitoring discussions & the need for standardization of sampling structures.

Goals for moving forward include:

• Sustain communication among the community; hold annual meetings to discuss current knowledge and create future plans.

• Increase participation of community science programs (this involves creating and providing protocols that ensure collected data is scientifically relevant).

• Create four working groups to develop topic-specific protocols and guidelines for quality assurance/quality control; community science; tissue sampling; and water/sediment sampling.

• Produce and publish a workshop summary to be shared with participants as well as the greater community.