I am going micro this summer!

 

 

DIY Sieves & Net and Supply List

When we arrived on the island our first project was to build three sieves with different size mesh to create fractionated samples and to build a plankton net.  The scientist at WHOI sent us these guides to help us build them.  You can click on the links below to find the directions.  

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.

300 microns

1000 microns

5000 microns

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

Build a 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

Vials

Labels

Permanent markers

Tweezers

Squirt Bottle

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

Squirt Bottle

Organization

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.  

Grey's Outdoor Lab

To learn more about how microplastics are studied click here.

Have fun going micro!