These data accompany the perspective paper "Plastic Accumulation in the Sea Surface Microlayer: An Experiment-Based Perspective for Future Studies" authored by L. Galgani and S. A. Loiselle. The data reflect the results obtained from a small pilot laboratory experiment used to support the hypothesis that plastic accumulation in the sea surface microlayer (SML) might have effects on organic matter cycling in the surface ocean. Bacterial abundance, chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and oxygen concentrations were measured