Build a Plankton Net
Make Your Own Plankton Sieves
DIY Sieves Supply Tip
The first thing we needed to do was buy the supplies. Most of the supplies you can easily purchase at a hardware store.
Here are links to the nylon or nitex cloth we ordered on Amazon.
Design Issues with Homemade sieves
While these guides were great, we ran into a few design issues. When we visited WHOI, Stacey Strong made her sieves out of PVC and PVC couplings with a larger diameter. We think this might be a better option.
Over the course of the project, we noticed problems with the following steps:
Step 1. When you cut your PVC pipes make sure that there is no plastic debris on the edges to ensure you do not contaminate your samples. You should clean and sand the edges to prevent this from happening.
Step 3. Glue - Silicone is not sufficient in securing the mesh to the PVC. Using a plastic welder (a type of glue not a flame) to secure the mesh to the PVC works better.
Step 5. The directions worked for our 0.3 nylon but the 5 mm and 1 mm nylon were too thick. We are wondering if you purchase more expensive nylon mesh from a science store, if this would not be an issue. Our solution was to cut the mesh so it fit seamlessly with the inside of the PVC and place it on the lip of the PVC coupling. Then use the plastic welder to completely seal the edges.
Plankton Net
So far our net made out of pantyhose is working great, but we are a little worried about the durability. I want to tow the net behind my kayak while we are on different adventures, and I am not sure it is going to hold up. We are going to make another net using an oval nut milk bag. We ordered this nut milk bag on Amazon.
Additional Supplies
Containers for collecting sand
Ziploc bags: gallon and sandwich
Journal
Phone for taking pictures
GPS App for phone
Permanent markers
Tweezers
Access to a hose
Salt
We purchase the sand sieves because they have metal mesh. Our sieves were purchased from McMaster-Carr
You may also want a brush for cleaning the sand sieves. We are currently using a toothbrush, but it is not working as well as we would like.
Additional Supplies for Studying Plankton
Microscope or the IPhone 7+ has dual camera that can magnify micro-organisms
Petri Dish
Blank Microscope slides
Eye dropper
Eye dropper
Squirt Bottle
Organizing and cleaning are an important part of this project. We are still working on figuring this out. Right now, we are using Ziploc bags to store and separate our supplies. We are wondering if a backpack with some small drybags would work better. You should label items right away and document with photos. Each day when you are finished clean your sieves and reorganize supplies.
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| Grey's Outdoor Lab |
To learn more about how microplastics are studied click here.
Have fun going micro!
3 comments:
So helpful to have all the technical details - they're really helping me picture your project. I look forward to hearing more about the process/technique for using the equipment. I wonder if anyone's testing microplastic levels on the Jersey shore beaches? Which makes me wonder if that could be a project that a Benchmark science class could take on? I could picture adding it to the water ecosystem unit that Miss Watkins teaches.
Grey,
You are very organized in your approach. That is awesome. I like the way you are problem-solving and figuring out which tools will work. I was surprised to read in the article you referenced that scientists have been looking at micro plastics since the 1970s. I am interested in Ms. Ostertag's idea about our science unit, too. It would be awesome if your work inspired us to be involved in research. However, even if we can't join in on some Jersey shore research, maybe you can find a way to share what you will learn with the 4th graders who study the ocean ecosystem at Benchmark.
Enjoy your explorations, and I look forward to hearing more discoveries.
Mrs. Arabia
Grey,
Great job so far. Are you collecting samples during different tide changes to see what effect the tide has on debris? Looking forward to seeing your results when we come up in a few weeks.
Uncle Neal
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