Microplastics (MPs), defined as particles <5 mm, are widespread throughout the global ocean; however, their ecological interactions in the Southern Ocean remain poorly constrained, raising concerns about their incorporation into marine food webs. In this context, copepods may represent a potential pathway for MP transfer across trophic levels. To explore this interaction, zooplankton samples collected during the 2014 Ross Sea Mesoscale Experiment (RoME) expedition were analyzed, providing a preliminary assessment of microplastic occurrence in copepod assemblages from three stations in the Western Ross Sea: Cape Hallett (A), Terra Nova Bay (B), and the Franklin–Beaufort sector (C). For each station, copepod samples were divided into two size fractions (<2 mm and >2 mm), each further split into taxonomic and analytical aliquots. Taxonomic analysis provided ecological context for the investigated size classes, revealing distinct community compositions, with Ctenocalanus sp. dominating the smaller fraction and Metridia sp. predominating in the larger one. The corresponding analytical aliquots (400 individuals from the <2 mm fraction and 200 individuals from the >2 mm fraction) were used to investigate potential size-dependent contamination patterns. Suspected microplastic particles recovered after digestion of copepod aliquots were morphologically characterized and mainly classified as fragments, with occasional fibres also detected. Fragment areas ranged from 0.0004 to 0.016 mm², consistent with those reported for zooplankton-associated microplastics, and their abundances were comparable between copepod size fractions (<2 mm: 0.033; >2 mm: 0.035 particles ind.⁻¹). The highest occurrence was observed at Station A (n = 9), followed by Station C (n = 8), whereas fewer fragments were detected at Station B (n = 3). Finally, FTIR analysis of selected fragments suggested compatibility with polyethylene, polypropylene and polyamide. These findings therefore highlight the importance of integrating historical and contemporary observations to better understand temporal patterns in MP occurrence and their ecological implications in the Southern Ocean.