Microplastics Summer Program 2015...

Microplastics Summer Program 2-‐hour ISEA 2015

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Microplastics Summer Program 2015 MISSION (purpose of the program): Increase awareness of sources and impacts of microplastics in the Great Lakes. VISION (ideal outcome): Everyone takes action to reduce plastic usage and inputs of plastic to waterways. GOALS:

1. Participants are involved in current microplastic research on the Great Lakes. 2. Participants become aware of sources of microplastics. 3. Participants understand how microplastic interacts with the food web.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Introduction learning objectives

1. Declare participants researchers and emphasize the importance of Great Lakes research. 2. Give the definition of microplastic and why we are interested in it. 3. Collect a plankton sample and define plankton as tiny suspended organisms. 4. Describe the manta trawl and launch it.

Will it float?/Plastic alternatives station learning objectives

1. Observe the density of different plastics (some float, some sink). 2. Recognize how microplastic is formed and how it enters the lake. 3. Identify alternatives to single-use plastic items.

Fish station learning objectives

1. Observe & identify fish species caught in the minnow traps 2. Recognize the place of forage fish in the food web 3. Identify the effects of plastic in the food chain

a. Accumulation of plastic in fish stomachs b. Bio-accumulation and biomagnification of toxins

Research station learning objectives

1. Become familiar with the status of research on microplastics in the Great Lakes region 2. Participate in trawling for microplastics 3. Discuss future research possibilities regarding microplastics in the Great Lakes

Plankton station learning objectives

1. Observe and identify plankton species caught in the plankton net. 2. Recognize the place of plankton in the food web 3. Identify the effects of microplastics on plankton and the organisms that eat plankton.

(Plastic looks like food.) a. Some microplastics are small enough for plankton to eat them – which can confer

toxins or block their digestive systems. b. Microplastics could be mistaken for plankton and be eaten by planktivores. c. Microplastics may adhere to plankton bodies.


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Sample processing/Salt-water float station learning objectives 1. Examine collected microplastics sample for plastic particles, and identify them under the

microscope 2. Identify microplastics types: pellet, film, foam, fragment, fiber/line 3. Understand how to avoid products with microbeads in them

Plastics pledge learning objectives

1. Understand that all we need to do is our part. We don’t need to, nor can we, solve the whole issue of plastics consumption and microplastic pollution on our own.

2. Take a pledge to reduce plastic consumption or plastic waste.

BACKGROUND Microplastics overview Microplastics are defined as any plastic particle that is smaller that 5 mm. Secondary microplastics are formed when large plastic items break apart. One important type of secondary microplastic is fibers shed from clothing. Primary microplastics were created to be very small. An example is the plastic pellets and chips that are created as feedstock to mold larger plastic items. These can be spilled or lost accidentally in various ways. Another source of primary microplastics are personal care products and cosmetics.

Sources of microplastic • Larger items breaking down from UV radiation and with the force of the waves and

friction from crashing into the shore. Organisms will also break down plastic by consuming them and boat motors might chop up plastic.

• Personal care products • Plastic pellets from industrial processes

Plastic ingredients in personal care and cosmetic products Plastic ingredients are added to every sort of cosmetic and personal care product you can think of, not just soap scrubs and toothpaste. Other products that contain plastics include makeup of all types, hairspray, nail polish, shaving cream, bubble bath, sunscreen, shampoo, deodorant, lotions, denture adhesives, wrinkle cream, and hair coloring. The functions in these products are wide-ranging. They are best known to aid in scrubbing, but plastics can also be added as bulking agents, viscosity generators, film formers, glitters, gellants, factors to control time release of active ingredients, delivery agents of active ingredients such as vitamins, fragrances, oils, and insect repellents, and to prevent active ingredients from degrading by trapping them in a porous matrix too small for bacteria to enter. Plastics added to cosmetics and personal care products that are washed down the drain are impossible to recover from the environment and thus cannot be recycled. Anything washed down the drain can end up in our waterways via raw sewage, treated effluent, or as sewage sludge that is applied as fertilizer on agricultural lands and then later eroded from the land into streams and lakes. Microplastics are too tiny and spread out in the environment to be collected, and any collection attempt would be very expensive and likely collect and harm tiny organisms also in the


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environment. In contrast, packaging and containers that house cosmetics and personal care products can be recycled or collected and incinerated or landfilled. Ingredients are considered microplastic when they are solids, less than 5 mm in size, water insoluble, nondegradable, and made of plastic. Although 5 mm is the maximum size, there is no minimum size and can be as small as 10 nm (0.00001). Most plastics added to personal care and cosmetic products are 1-1000 microns (0.001 – 1 mm). Our manta trawl net filters particles larger than 355 microns (0.355 mm), so only can collect a portion of the plastic that is actually there. The small size of plastics added to cosmetics and personal care products also make detection extremely difficult, yet they are not too small to impact living things in the lake. Impacts of microplastics Personal care products and cosmetics are tested for safety on the skin since they are not used internally, but if the products enter waterways they can easily end up inside of an organisms, and these risks are either unknown or overlooked when products are seeking safety approval. Scientists have only recently begun to look at microplastic toxicity on living organisms. Some negative effects have been found for marine organisms and the number of studies continues to grow. In freshwater systems there are no papers published on microplastic toxicity, although it is known that plastics absorb persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as DDT and PCBs, which could be transferred to organisms who consume them. Microplastics present multiple stressors on organisms including reduced food uptake, leeching of chemical additives in the plastic itself, and adsorption of chemicals from the environment. Any or all of these risks could be present, however as of today there is little evidence that clearly implicates microplastics. Next steps Given the uncertainties involved and potential risks, a precautionary approach is advised. This means plastics should be removed from cosmetic and personal care products until it can be shown that no risk is present (or the risk is small enough to be acceptable). Less plastic and safer chemicals can reduce health and environmental risks. Governments can ban the manufacture and sale of products containing plastic ingredients. Illinois was the first state to do so; the two-part ban will begin 2018 and 2019. Colorado, Maine, Indiana, Maryland, and New Jersey have also banned plastic microbeads. Michigan (SB 0158) and several other states (Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin) have proposed legislation to do the same. The bill in California would ban all types of microbeads, including those that claim to biodegrade. WEBSITES: California considers ban on biodegradable microbeads. The Guardian. June 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/vital-signs/2015/jun/08/california-microbead-ban-bioplastic-story-of-stuff-water Microplastics pollution in the Great Lakes ecosystem: Summary of presentations at IAGLR http://www.lakescientist.com/microplastics-pollution-great-lakes-ecosystem-summary-presentations-iaglr-2014/


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PROGRAM OVERVIEW: 30 min before Meet the boat, participants, check-in, create manifest

15 min before Introduce Inland Seas

Break into 5 groups: Foresail peak - Fish Mainsail peak - Plankton Mainsail throat – Will it float? / Plastic alternatives Foresail throat – Sample processing, Saltwater float Headsails/Midship – Research/Manta Trawl

Safety talk, and boarding

10 min Leave the dock Instructors: While casting off, introduce microplastics Lead: After horn sounds, introduce Great Lakes microplastic research

10 min Heave to (no anchor) Lead + Plankton instructor: Introduce and collect plankton sample with participant help

15 min Crew + Lead: Line handling instruction, raise sails

5 min Lead: 2 minutes of silence

10 min Lead + Research instructor + Crew: Introduce the manta trawl: how it works, trying to find microplastics (instructors/participants hold the trawl to show it off); trawl for 30 min. Launch the trawl with crew assistance (2-3 participants), and raise the dayshape (1-2 participants). Research instructor records launch data with 1-2 participants.

55 min Station rotation (10 min stations + 1 min to rotate) 1. Will it float? / Plastic alternatives (on deck, port) 2. Fish (on deck, starboard) 3. Research/Manta Trawl (at the helm) 4. Plankton (at plankton station) 5. Sample processing/Saltwater float (at table down below)

5 min Lead + Instructors: Microplastics pledge

3 min Lead: Gather on deck, final thoughts

5 min Captain: Thank you, request for donations, disembark


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VOCABULARY Bioaccumulation: Accumulation of contaminants in the tissues of a single organism. Species that live in PBT polluted water tend to concentrate the PBT from the water into their tissue Bioconcentration: See bioaccumulation. The term bioconcentration was created for use in aquatic toxicology. Biomagnification: Increase in the concentration of contaminants as you move up through levels of the food web Buoyancy: The ability or tendency to float in water. Carnivore: Organisms that consume only animals. Consumer: Organisms that must consume other organisms to obtain energy Density: The degree of compactness of a substance. Mass per unit of volume. DDT: Dichlorodiphenyltricholoethane Odorless, tasteless, and colorless insecticide that bioaccumulates, causes eggshell thinning in birds, and is an endocrine disruptor in humans. Ecosystem: Group of living and non-living things that interact with each other Food web: Network of feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem Forage fish: Small fish that provide food for larger fish or birds Herbivores: Organisms that consume only plants and other photosynthesizing organisms. Individual: One single organism Manta trawl: Equipment used to collect microplastics from surface water. Long wings keep the trawl afloat and cause it to resemble a manta ray. Mesh size is 333 microns. Microbeads: Tiny spheres of plastic used as ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products such as toothpaste and body wash. Specific types include: acrylate copolymer, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethyl-terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and nylon Microplastics: Small plastic particles in the environment less than 5 mm in size Omnivore: Organisms that consume both plants and animals PBT: Substances that are persistent bioaccumulative and toxic—such as DDT or PCT (polychlorinated byphenols). They are resistant to biodegradation so they persist for years or decades and they accumulate in organisms at a variety of trophic levels. Single use: Designed to be used once and then disposed of or destroyed. Species: All of the organisms that share significant genetic similarity and could breed with one another given sufficient proximity. Phytoplankton: Organisms that float freely in the water and do photosynthesis (make oxygen). Plankton: Suspended organisms that drift in the water column Plankton net: Device used to collect plankton samples. Mesh size 153 microns. Primary microplastic: Plastic that was created to be very small. Examples include plastic ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products, and plastic pellets used as feedstock in injection molding machines. Producer: Organism that produces its own food from inorganic materials such as sunlight and nutrients. Plants and phytoplankton are producers. Secondary microplastic: Plastics smaller than 5mm that result from the breakdown of larger plastic items. Zooplankton: Tiny animals that float freely in the water.


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Microplastic Summer Program: Introduction OVERVIEW (INTRODUCTION) The mission of this program is to increase awareness of sources and impacts of microplastics in the Great Lakes in an effort to encourage participants to take action to reduce plastic usage and inputs of plastic to waterways. Ultimately we want the Great Lakes to be plastic free. A program that confronts people with their consumption activities has the potential to be threatening and alienating. Hence, this program emphasizes empirical research and the importance of using data to draw conclusions. Participants are invited to put on their researcher hat to think critically about the data, and to literally partake in Great Lakes research on microplastics. In addition, participants have hands-on interactions with live fish and plankton, and get to mess about with the buoyancy of various plastics. LEARNING OBJECTIVES (INTRODUCTION):

1. Declare participants researchers and emphasize the importance of Great Lakes research. 2. Give the definition of microplastic and why we are interested in it. 3. Collect a plankton sample and define plankton as tiny suspended organisms. 4. Describe the manta trawl and launch it.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION (INTRODUCTION) The mission of Inland Seas is to inspire Great Lakes curiosity, stewardship, and passion. We accomplish this through hands-on shipboard and shore side educational programming for people of all ages. One of our goals is to inspire the next generation of Great Lakes scientists. We encourage young people to consider science - especially freshwater science - as a career. Plus we want to expose adults to current research in the Great Lakes and connect all people more deeply to this region. This program lends itself naturally to Great Lakes stewardship, since all people use plastics, and nearly all of us could endeavor to use less of it. One potential pitfall, however, is that people will feel guilty or overwhelmed at the problem of microplastics and give up. We need to emphasize that this is a problem created by society, and not by an individual person, therefore it requires all of us to just do our part. There is no more that we need to do. Just do what we can do, in our own big or small way, and that will be what the world needs most. Timing This program flows rather quickly compared to our other programs. Just let it move along, and hopefully when you get there, there will be more than 10 minutes per station. WEBSITES (INTRODUCTION) Great Lakes facts: http://www.great-lakes.net/lakes/ref/lakefact.html MATERIALS AND TOOLS (INTRODUCTION) o Manta trawl with cod end and line o Pencil with eraser o Plankton net and line o Magic wand o Acrylic cup to hold plankton o


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SET UP (INTRODUCTION) o Attach plankton net to line and line to the ship. o Bring plankton cup on deck. o Be sure equipment is available and ready to go.

TEACHING THE INTRODUCTION 1. Declare participants researchers and emphasize the importance of Great Lakes

research. (7 min) Begin after the horn sounds. Create a little ceremony that will declare everyone on the ship scientists for the day. 1. Ask some questions to warm-up the group:

• Raise your hand if you know a scientist. • Raise your hand if you are a scientist. • Raise your hand if you know the characteristics of a scientist. Take ideas from the

audience. 2. For the next two hours, you are going to take on those characteristics and become a Great

Lake Scientist so you can help us research the very important issue of microplastics in the Great Lakes. Do you wish to be scientists today? Yes! Ask participants to take on the characteristics they listed. Create gestures to go with each one. Here are some possibilities:

→ Plug in your analytical brain. → Polish up all of your senses: eyes, ears, hands, nose → Brush away all of your preconceived notions. → Wake up your curiosity and wonder. → In the name of Great Lake curiosity, stewardship and passion, I anoint each of you

Great Lakes scientists!

Why do you think we need so many Great Lakes scientists? • The Great Lakes are one of the most important places on Earth. Nowhere else is there

a lake complex like this one. • The Great Lakes contain 20% of all of the surface fresh water in the world – only Lake

Baikal (21%) and the polar ice caps contain more. • The Great Lakes contain 95% of the surface water in the United States and 85% of the

surface water in North America. • This is a ridiculously precious resource that needs our protection. Science is the

discipline that can best learn how the resource works so we can know how to interact with it and make sure it exists in this or an even healthier form for all of the people and all living things into the future.

2. Give the definition of microplastic and why we are interested in it. (3 min)

Our task today as Great Lakes researchers, is to investigate the amount of microplastic present here. What is microplastic? Show me with your hands how big microplastic is. Microplastic is defined as any plastic that is smaller than 5 mm, which is about the size of a pencil eraser. That may seem kind of big, but 5 mm is quite small, considering how big most plastic items are.


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We are interested in microplastic because we don’t know that much about it, and scientists are a curious folk! Plus it seems important to understand the distribution and impact of microplastics on our waterways. How many of you want to eat plastic in your food? The organisms that live here probably don’t want to eat plastic either. So researchers want to find out what is going on. Let’s collect some organisms and see what they think about plastics in the lake!

3. Collect a plankton sample and define plankton as tiny suspended organisms. (10 min)

Collect a plankton sample as usual. Intermix talking with taking the sample. Use participants to help collect the sample. With instructor assistance one person can keep the audience engaged while the other keeps the equipment moving: 1. Let’s gather some plankton from the lake. How many plankton would you need to eat to

feel full? A lot! Right, because plankton are so tiny. 2. To collect them we will use this net, called a plankton net. We will lower the net down

into the water and pull it straight back up. When we pull it up, water will rush out through the holes, but the plankton that are too big to go through the holes will get trapped.

3. The holes are 153 microns in size, that is 0.153 mm, about big enough for 2 human hairs to slip through.

4. The plankton we will capture are between 200 and 1000 microns and they are mostly zooplankton. If I asked you to sound like a zoo right now, what would you do? Let’s try it, everyone act like your favorite zoo creature. How many of you acted like animals? Everyone? Good, because zooplankton are animals too. Zoo means animal.

5. The other kind of plankton are phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are like plants. What do plants do? Photosynthesis, they make oxygen. And phytoplankton do they same; they make oxygen that the fish and other organisms can breathe. Although we might collect some phytoplankton in our net, a lot of phytoplankton is too small for our net, mostly between 20 and 150 microns.

6. Lower the net between 50 and 60 feet. Pull it straight up. Rinse the net thoroughly with the shower setting (other settings may damage the plankton). Twist off the cod end and pour the sample into an acrylic cup. Show the cup to the audience and then pass it to the plankton instructor. Rinse the cod end thoroughly before reattaching it to the plankton net.

Raise the sails and do 2 min of silence. 4. Describe the manta trawl and launch it.

Ask the Research Station instructor to recruit a couple of volunteers to unlash the manta trawl while sails are being raised, and bring it midship as soon as the moment of silence is finished. The group can hold the trawl (easiest is if the main part is on the starboard side and the net stretches to port) while the lead speaks. Give everyone a moment take a look at it. Describe each part of the trawl and how we will launch it.

• Water goes in the mouth, the hood helps splash waves into the net • Winds help the trawl stay afloat. We are doing a surface trawl. • Net filters the water just like the plankton net did. This time mesh size is 333 microns,

holes are twice as big. • Sample will collect in the cod end. • We will launch the trawl and tow it for 30 min while under sail. We do trawls like this

about every week, in an effort to find out how microplastic concentrations change in


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one place over time. Plus we want to know if microplastic concentrations change in this one place from year to year.

• We will need a couple of people to help us launch the trawl, a couple to help us raise the day shape, and a couple back at the stern to record data. We track boat speed, wind speed, latitude and longitude.

When the trawl is launched, begin station rotations. Guide each group to their first station and tell instructors how much time they have. If all goes well, there should be more than 10 minutes per station.

CLEAN UP (INTRODUCTION)

o Rinse plankton net and cod end thoroughly. o Stowe manta trawl. o Stowe plankton net. o Gather datasheet and sample from the Analysis Station Instructor. Put datasheet in the

datasheet binder and bring samples to the building. o Be sure datasheet and sample from the Research instructor is in the microplastics bin so it

is available for the Analysis instructor on the next program.


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Microplastics summer program: Will it float? Station OVERVIEW (WILL IT FLOAT?) In this station participants experiment with plastic items to find out in they float or sink, and therefore where in the water we should look to find plastics in the lake. Next they think about how microplastic can be formed from larger plastic items, and how they can prevent plastic pollution from entering the lakes. This station encourages participants to limit their use of single-use plastic items by working together to come up with alternatives. Cosmetics and personal care products are an important source of microplastics, but this station will focus on how larger plastic items become microplastics. Other stations can give attention to microbeads in personal care products. LEARNING OBJECTIVES (WILL IT FLOAT?)

1. Observe the density of different plastics (some float, some sink). 2. Recognize how microplastic is formed and how it enters the lake. 3. Identify alternatives to single-use plastic items.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION (WILL IT FLOAT?) Plastic types and density Microplastic particles in the Great Lakes are composed of various types of plastic that vary in density. The polymer type for the material determines how dense it is, and if the density is found to be less than that of water, the plastic will float, while a density greater than water will cause the plastic to sink. Low density plastics such as polypropylene (bottle caps, straws, automotive parts) and polyethylene (grocery bags, detergent bottles, milk jugs, buoys) will float when deposited in the water. Materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (water bottles, clothing fibers) and polystyrene (disposable cutlery, CD and DVD cases) have a higher density and will sink. Because plastics have different densities, microplastic particles could be found at the bottom, within the water column, and at the surface of the Great Lakes. Even plastics that might normally float, or be neutrally buoyant (float freely in the water column) will often sink as they become covered in biofilms. Biofilms are living organisms that colonize surfaces. Algae, bacteria, protists, and fungi can all be biofilms. The weight of these organisms can sink many particles.


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Table 1 Densities and common uses of plastics that have been identified or are highly likely to be present in the Great Lakes and common uses. In principle, plastics greater than 1 g/cm3 should sink in water. Plastic type Abbreviation Density (g/cm3) Common uses

Expanded polystyrene EPS 0.01-0.04 Foam cups, plates, trays, clamshell containers

Polypropylene PP 0.85-.092 Auto parts, food containers, bottle caps, dishware, straws

Low-density polyethylene LDPE 0.89-0.93

Container lids, six-pack holders, squeeze bottles, tubing, diapers, shotgun shells

High- density polyethylene HDPE 0.94-0.98

Detergent and household cleaner bottles, milk jugs, grocery bags, recycle bins, playground equipment buoys

Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene ABS 1.04-1.06 Electronic equipment casing, pipes

Polystyrene PS 1.04-1.08 Plates, cutlery, optical disc cases, toys

Polyamide (nylon) PA 1.13-1.16 Toothbrush bristles, fishing line and ropes, nets

Polymethly methacrylate (acrylic) PMMA 1.16-1.20 Optical lenses, paint, shatterproof

windows Polycarbonate PC 1.20-1.22 Optical discs Cellulose acetate CA 1.30 Cigarette filters Polyethylene therephthalate (polyester)

PET 1.38-1.41 Textiles, soft drink and water bottles, strapping

Polyvinyl chloride PVC 1.38-1.41 Pipes, fencing, shower curtains, flooring, plastic wrap, tampon applicators

Polyterefluoroethylene PTFE 2.10-2.30 Wires, cables, bearings gears Source: Driedger G.J. et al. 2015. Plastic debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes: A review. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 41, 9-19. MATERIALS AND TOOLS (WILL IT FLOAT?)

o A collection of plastic items, make sure some skinks and some floats. Things that usually sink: plastic silverware, solo cups, drink bottles, plastic toys. Things that usually float: tupperware, plastic lids, pen tops. Things that are neutral: some plastic films

o A bucket with water o Logbook to record hypothesis: Where would you expect to find the most plastic: on the

surface, on the bottom, or in the water column? o Alternatives to single-use items: wooden coffee stirrers, paper or multi-use straws,

durable/metal/glass water bottles, bamboo cutlery, re-usable coffee mugs, reusable picnic supplies (durable plastic plates, cups, silverware), compostable cups, plates, cutlery, etc.

o Scissors o Wallet cards: How to replace and eliminate plastics


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SET UP (WILL IT FLOAT?) o Fill a 5 gallon bucket partway with water o Have plastic pieces ready to go and covered with a towel o Be sure all equipment is available and ready to go.

TEACHING THE WILL IT FLOAT? STATION 1. Observe the density of different plastics (some float, some sink).

If we were able to sample from the surface of the lake, the bottom of the lake, and the water column, where do you think we will find the most plastic? Don’t take answers, ask participants to write their idea in the logbook. We are making a hypothesis. What is a hypothesis? Take input from participants, looking for an answer that says a hypothesis uses information that we know and logical thinking to come up with a plausible answer to a question. Does it matter is we are right or not? No. It makes no difference if we are right or wrong. A hypothesis is just the beginning; it is a place to start our investigation. What we are looking for is the truth, not being right. Let each participant share their hypothesis. Ask for reasoning from some or all. Often all three hypotheses are shared. Now that we have a hypothesis, let’s do an experiment to get more information. Under the towel I have a bunch of different kinds of plastic. Each of you will choose 1 or 2, but be patient and calm so that we don’t end up losing any of this plastic to the lake.” Go around the circle letting each participant drop their plastic into the bucket. First make a prediction of it if will sink or float. Submerge items that might float due to surface tension and be sure all air bubbles are displaced so air is not keeping the item buoyant. It helps to have a ruler or other long thing that can submerge objects and dislodge bubbles. You can tally the number of sinkers and floaters. You may want to leave all items in the bucket to remind the group of the results. Participants are often surprised at how many plastics sink. Why do some sink and some float? There are different kinds of plastics and each kind has a different composition (sort of like there are different kinds of cookies, each made with a different recipe). Most people are familiar with the numbers on plastics. These numbers indicate different kinds of plastic. If this were a classroom, students could try to determine which numbers sink and which float (and if this is consistent). There is a lot of cool research to be done on this topic! Now that we have made all of these observations, would anyone like to revise their hypothesis? There should be a lot of floaters and sinkers in the collection, so it is reasonable to think that there will be plastic at the top and the bottom in roughly equal proportions. Then if we looking only at the top of the lake for plastics, do you think we are getting a good picture of how much plastic is actually in the lake? Probably not. Skimming the surface is a very easy way to sample for microplastics, and this research is new. But now that we know there is plastic on the surface, and quite a bit of it, researchers will continues to gather data, and will


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look in different parts of the water body. Some people are looking in sediments now, and another group in Wisconsin (USGS) is looking in streams. 2. Recognize how microplastic is formed and how it enters the lake. Now, how does plastic get into the lake? wind blows it, people are careless or irresponsible, poor waste management... How can these larger plastics become microplastic? UV light from the sun can lead to breaks in the long chains that make-up plastics. This causes plastics to discolor and break apart. Wave action, abrasion with shorelines, and encounters with boat propellers can mechanically breakdown plastic items. Some participants have trouble understanding that large plastic items degrade over time, in part because they know plastic will last for hundreds or thousands of years. However, both concepts can occur simultaneously. A large item may get smaller in a few years or even months, yet the decomposition of plastic back to elemental forms will take hundreds of years. It might be useful to have some old plastic items that have become brittle and shattered or been shredded over time. Although not many young people have seen plastic that has gotten brittle, lots of people have seen plastic bags with holes in them. This might be a place to start. Some groups will say, “when the plastic gets small then it will float, even though it sinks when it is big.” This is a misunderstanding of density and as fundamental property of an item. One thing to try is to cut a small piece out of a larger item, such as a plastic cup, and watch what happens. It will sink too. 3. Identify alternatives to single-use plastic items. So, is plastic pollution preventable? Yes! We can be more careful with our waste, but mistakes are bound to happen no matter how careful we are. So it is a good idea to reduce the amount of plastic in our life wherever we can so if a mistake happens, the environment does not receive more plastic; it gets a biodegradable item, or an inert item instead, such as metal or glass. Choose items from the bucket that could be replaced. “What could you do instead of using a plastic cup, a straw, a baggie?” This is a time to discuss alternatives to plastic (metal or wood silverware, metal or glass water bottles, family sized products that are portioned out into reusable containers, waxed paper and paper bags, reuse plastic bags and containers, bring your own refillable cup or leftover container to a coffee shop or restaurant). Show alternative items and discuss what would happen to the alternatives if they were lost to the environment. If someone offers you a plastic cup or plastic silverware can you say no to it? Yes. You can request a reusable option, or bring your own if it seems likely single-use items will be present at an event or meal. What are some ways we can limit plastic pollution? Take ideas, and really push students to think of the things that are possible, even if they are unwilling or unable to do them themselves. One process for getting ideas is to think of places we use or acquire plastic and to see if there is an alternative (butter can be in a plastic tub, or it can be as sticks wrapped in paper; chips in my lunch can come from a big bag that is portioned out into a reusable container, rather than using individually packaged chips. Acknowledge that it can be difficult to take some of these actions


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since we don’t get to make all of the decisions in our families, places of work, schools, and communities. It is also hard when everyone else is using plastic liberally to do something different. How does it feel to go against the grain? Why do some people do this? What might be challenging about this? Share this line from The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.” What you are willing to do, or able to do? Let’s think of one thing for each of us. If you are unable or unwilling then acknowledge that too. Not everyone is empowered, or ready to make change. As an instructor you should participate too and think of something you can do to limit plastic in your life. This discussion might make the most sense to do with your last group when you discuss the plastics pledge with participants. CLEAN UP (WILL IT FLOAT?)

o Carefully extract all plastic particles from the bucket so none of them end up in the lake, return to the box.

o Dump water and store bucket at the stern. o Inventory all equipment and store it neatly.


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Microplastic Summer Program: Fish Station OVERVIEW (FISH) This station gives participants a chance to examine, interact with, and identify the forage fish collected from minnow traps and teaches the location of forage fish in the food web. Additionally, this station shows participants how plastic can move through the food chain, and the risks microplastics plastics pose to living organisms, including people. LEARNING OBJECTIVES (FISH)

1. Observe & identify fish species caught in the minnow traps 2. Recognize the place of forage fish in the food web 3. Identify the effects of plastic in the food chain

a. Accumulation of plastic in fish stomachs b. Bio-accumulation and biomagnification of toxins

BACKGROUND INFORMATION (FISH) Food Web A food web describes the feeding relationships between different organisms. All fish are consumers, so they have to eat other organisms to obtain the energy they need to function. Organisms low in the food web are eating plants and plankton. The next level of organisms eats larger organisms, such as invertebrates. Then there are those who consume small fish, and finally those who eat larger fish. Organisms who eat living things are in the grazing food web. Organisms who eat detritus (dead things) are part of the detrital food web. Although these two food webs intersect, the way matter accumulates in each food web is different, which is why ecologists often consider them separately. Plastics in the food web Organisms can consume microplastics directly or indirectly. Direct consumption involves mistaking microplastics for food and eating them. Indirect consumption involves eating an organism that has microplastics in its body. Indirect consumption makes it easy for microplastics to travel up through the food web, eventually reaching fish that humans consume. If microplastics are not eliminated from the body (in feces or otherwise) the amount of microplastic in an individual can accumulate, and hence the amount of microplastic will also accumulate at higher levels in the food chain. This process is called bioaccumulation. Forage fish are located towards the bottom of the food web and most of the fish caught in the minnow trap will be forage fish. The concentration of microplastics and toxins that they carry should be less than the concentrations in their predators. Researchers (especially Rachel Ricotta) in Dr. Sheri Mason’s lab at State University of New York, Fredonia have been looking at plastic concentrations in fish and cormorants. They have been examining the gut contents of species that were collected by fishermen in Lake Erie and have looked at 18 species from different trophic levels.


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They found plastic particles in every species they examined (although some individuals were free from plastics). Concentrations followed expected trophic level patterns: species at higher trophic levels contained more plastic particles than species at lower trophic levels.

Table 1: Average number of plastic particles found per individual in select species

Double-Crested Cormorant 44.15/bird Yellow Perch 8.25/fish Cisco 2.63/fish Kiyi 2.56/fish Longnose Dace 2.08/fish Creek Chub 1.41/fish Logperch 1.0/fish

The other interesting finding is that nearly all particles found were fibers, not beads, films, or fragments. It is possible that the other types are more easily eliminated, but fish also might be more likely to eat fibers than other particles types. More research is needed. Bioaccumulation & Toxins Bioaccumulation refers to the accumulation of contaminants in the tissues of organisms. Organisms at higher trophic levels on food webs (such as predatory fish) tend to have greater concentrations of contaminants stored in their bodies than those on lower trophic levels on food webs. The increase in the concentration of contaminants in each successive trophic level is called biomagnification. Although the amount of microplastics initially consumed by organisms in the bottom of the food web may be very small, by the time it reaches animals humans may consume, the toxins from the plastics could magnify to potentially dangerous levels. Toxins and microplastics Many contaminants are hydrophobic (water-hating or lipid-loving). This means they prefer to be in the lipids or fats of an organism rather than in the water, and will partition themselves there. Because these contaminants are lipid soluble and are stored in the lipids of organisms, they are not easily excreted. The risk of toxicological effects to the organism increases as more and more contaminants accumulate in their tissues. Dr. Lorena Rios-Mendoza of the University of Wisconsin Superior is a researcher who is looking into toxins on plastics in the Great Lakes. Plastics can act like sponges to absorb toxins that can bioaccumulate and be transferred up the food chain, such at PCBs and DDT. The concern is that plastic particles will concentrate organic pollutants and make them more readily available to the organisms that consume them. If the particles remain in the organism (fish) long enough the toxins can leach out and be harmful. We don’t yet know the effect of toxins on microplastics in the food chain, and it is a complex process to determine exactly what effect this additional toxic load (if it indeed is an additional load) could have on living things.


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WEBSITES (FISH) How microplastics from Fleece could end up on your plate. Civil Eats blog. Jan 2015. http://civileats.com/2015/01/15/how-microplastics-from-fleece-could-end-up-on-your-plate/ MATERIALS AND TOOLS (in addition to the normal fish station stuff)

o Table of plastic particles/species and food web diagram o Russian nesting dolls (4) o Sponges in a container labeled “microplastic” o Food dye in a container labeled “POPs / toxins” o Filter paper or water in a small clear container o Bioaccumulation diagram o Photographs of fibers found in fish

SET UP (FISH)

o Set up the fish tank with water and the aerator. o Get fish out of the minnow traps and into the fish tank (or be sure there are fish in the tank

from a previous program). o Be sure equipment is available and ready to go, especially: are sponges clean? Dye

prepared? Nesting dolls separated? Do you have a particle for the plankton to eat? TEACHING THE FISH STATION 1) Observe & identify fish species caught in the minnow traps (6 minutes)

Examine fish from the minnow traps: • Observe their swimming and where they are located in the tank • Point out distinguishing features of each species • Name each species and count the fish

2) Recognize the place of forage fish in the food web (2 minutes)

• Key thing to explain: Plastic particles are passed from one species to the next, even though only one species directly ate the particles.

1. Pass out different roles in the food web: a. Choose one person to be a forage fish (the type of fish we have been observing) –

hand out the forage fish “doll” i. What does forage mean? What are forage fish? Forage means to look for

food, or it can mean food itself. Forage fish are food for larger fish. b. So, who will eat the forage fish? Predator fish.

i. Choose someone to be a predator fish. – hand out the predator fish “doll” c. Now we know what eats forage fish; what do forage fish eat? They often eat

invertebrates, such as midges, scuds, and isopods, or maybe tiny fish. i. Choose one person to be invertebrates – hand out the invertebrates/tiny fish

“doll” d. What do invertebrates/tiny fish eat? They often eat plankton.

i. Choose one person to be plankton – hand out the plankton “doll” e. What do zooplankton eat? They eat phytoplankton, smaller zooplankton, and

particles in the water. i. Choose one person to be the food particle – hand out the particle

2. Now let’s show what happens when the plankton eats the food particle.


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a. Have the group demonstrate the food chain by putting the particle inside the plankton doll, the plankton doll inside the invertebrate/tiny fish doll, the invertebrate/tiny fish doll inside the forage fish doll, and the forage fish doll inside the predator fish doll. Excellent!

b. Now imagine that instead of something yummy like phytoplankton, the zooplankton ate a piece of plastic. Microplastic is so small, a plankton might mistake it for food! What would happen to the plastic particle inside the plankton/invertebrate/forage fish/predator fish? If that particle were food, like phytoplankton, the plankton would have been able to digest it, but plastic cannot be digested, it might stay inside its belly.

c. If the particle were plastic, rather than food, where would the plastic be now?” Inside the predator fish!

d. Did the predator fish eat any plastic directly? No! The plastic got in the fish because the plastic was already in the animal the fish ate.

3. NOTE: The nesting dolls activity is a simplification of the food chain because it shows each organism eating only one prey item. In nature, each organism eats multiple prey items: predator fish will eat more than one forage fish to survive, which will have eaten more than one invertebrate/tiny fish, which will have eaten more than one plankton. Our model suggests the predator fish would have only one plastic piece in its body, but in reality it would have many more, perhaps one or more plastic particles from each prey fish is consumes. Since each organism must eat multiple organisms, the amount of plastic is likely to be greater for organisms higher on the food chain.

4. If time: “Which group of organisms should have the largest number of plastic particles in its body - plankton, invertebrates/tiny fish, forage fish, or predators?”

a. Plankton should have the fewest number of particles per organism since they eat the plastic directly, and are so small.

b. Forage fish will have the next largest amount since they will eat the equivalent of many plankton.

c. Predator fish should have the most since they will eat many forage fish, which each ate many plankton.

d. Participants can do the matching activity on the bottom of the fish logbook page to summarize their learning.

3) Identify the effects of plastic in the food chain (2 minutes)

a. Accumulation of plastic in fish stomachs 1. Show the table of plastic items per fish species. Note organisms high on the food

chain have more plastic in them than organisms lower on the food chain. 2. Most of the plastics found in fish stomachs are fibers (not pellets, films, fragment,

or foam). Why might that be? Some possible reasons: Fibers get stuck in the digestive tract, while the other types can be eliminated. OR fish are more likely to consume fibers than anything else. OR some other reason.

b. Accumulation and biomagnification of toxins 1. Tiny pieces of plastic inside of a big fish might not be a big deal if the plastics

were harmless. Organisms eat tiny pieces of sand all of the time with out any ill effect. BUT plastics are not harmless; they are like sponges and can absorb toxins from the environment.


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2. Dip the sponge piece into a container of colored water. Then put the piece onto a paper filter or into a cup of clear water. Watch how the color leaks out into the surroundings. Plastics in the water could be delivering more toxins to fish than they would other wise be exposed to.

3. Suppose a zooplankton (daphnia) eats a microplastic particle. Yellow perch feed on the daphnia, and for each daphnia that is consumed, the microplastic toxin is absorbed by the yellow perch. When the cormorant feeds on yellow perch, the collective amount of toxin from each daphnia that the perch consumed will be transferred to the cormorant. If the cormorant consumes multiple yellow perch who each consumed multiple daphnia, the concentration of toxin at this trophic level is greater than the concentration of toxin initially consumed by a single daphnia zooplankton.

4. “Do you think that microplastics found at the bottom of the Great Lakes could impact your health? Why or why not? Yes! If I choose to eat fish, then the plastics will bioaccumulate in the food chain and I may ingest toxins and plastics.”

4) Conclusion

Fish feed on microplastic particles in the water and the toxins from the microplastics (PCB/s DDT, etc) are harmful to the fish. By limiting your use of single use plastics, you can help to decrease the microplastic concentrations in the Great Lakes. Choosing natural fiber clothing over synthetic materials will mean fewer threads for fish to consume. If we can keep plastic out of the water, we can keep fish and other organisms safe. What can you can do to make plastic history in the Great Lakes?

CLEAN UP (FISH)

o Rinse the sponges and return them to the “microplastic” container o Separate all of the dolls so they are ready for the next program o Make more dye if it is running low – add food coloring and a bit of water to make a very

strong color.


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Microplastics Summer Program: Research Station OVERVIEW (RESEARCH) In this station participants participate in Great Lakes research on microplastics and examine microplastics data collected to date. Engage participants in conversation about the research taking place in the Great Lakes, on microplastic or anything else. The goal here is to get people to realize that scientific research is happening throughout the Great Lakes so we can learn about the how the ecosystem functions, how species interact, and how we can best manage this resource. Scientific research is an important way to demonstrate Great Lakes stewardship. If conditions allow, participants may also steer the ship and chat with the captain about sailing. The captain needs to concentrate to keep the ship at a steady speed while under sail so may or may not be available to engage in conversation or teaching. LEARNING OBJECTIVES (RESEARCH)

1. Become familiar with the status of research on microplastics in the Great Lakes region 2. Participate in trawling for microplastics 3. Discuss future research possibilities around microplastics in the Great Lakes

BACKGROUND INFORMATION (RESEARCH) The first person to look for microplastics in the Great Lakes was Sheri (Sam) Mason who is at the State University of New York (SUNY) Fredonia, in 2012. She traveled Lakes Erie, Huron, and Superior on the Flagship Niagara and collected microplastic samples using a manta trawl. The next year, she visited Lakes Michigan and Ontario, and resampled Lake Erie. Microplastics were found on all Great Lakes, sometimes in surprisingly high densities. Ben Hale approached Dr. Mason about collecting microplastics on the Inland Seas and we took several samples for her in the summer of 2013. In 2014 Inland Seas took samples as part of select fall Schoolship programs, and continued sampling in 2015 during spring Schoolship season and into the summer. Our samples from 2014 and 2015 have not been processed yet, but those from 2013 show high concentrations of microplastics. Other researchers have done their own sampling on the Great Lakes, and several folks are looking for microplastics in sediment, streams, and near wastewater treatment plants. At least one researcher is looking at toxin absorption by microplastics, and research on food chain impacts is just beginning. How to collect the sample We are using a manta trawl to collect microplastics, mesh size 333 microns. The manta trawl is deployed into the water where is rides alongside the ship, and out of the wake zone for 30 min at 2-3 knots (2.5-2.5 mph). When the trawl is launched we record boat speed, wind speed, latitude, longitude, and sea state (wave height). Observe the trawl while it is in the water and inform the crew if any adjustments need to be made. Take notes of any occurrences. Also record the boat speed about every 5 minutes or so we can calculate an average speed. When the trawl is hauled in, again record boat speed, wind speed, latitude, longitude, and sea state (wave height). Thoroughly rinse the net with the hose (from outside the net) so all debris washes to the bottom of the cod end. Remove the cod end, gradually turn it inside out, and transfer collected debris into a bucket using filtered water.


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Pour the water and debris into a sieve (355 microns) to reduce the amount of water in the sample. Transfer all debris from the sieve to a collection jar, using a minimal amount of water. Although tedious, please rinse all debris out of the sieve. Use two jars if there is too much debris to fit in one jar. Use filtered water to transfer material from the sieve to the collection jar. Label the jar and the lid with the beginning and ending latitude and longitude and the sample number. Sample numbers are found on the datasheet, which is in the microplastics bin. MATERIALS AND TOOLS (RESEARCH) o Manta trawl and mesh cod end o Wide mouth funnel o Nut driver o Collection jar and lid o Metal bucket o Tributaries data and map of collection sites o Wash basin o Beach cleanup data o Lab tape and marker o Sediment data o Spoon and rubber spatula o Map showing microplastic densities o Pressurized spray bottle o Microplastic data in the GL vs the oceans o 0.355 mm sieve o SET UP (RESEARCH)

o Attach cod end to the manta trawl o Be sure you have a sample jar, label tape, and a marker o Put next datasheet on clipboard with a pen/pencil o Be sure all equipment is available and ready to go

TEACHING THE RESEACH STATION 1. Become familiar with the status of research on microplastics in the Great Lakes region

The kits contains tables and graphics that overview different research efforts on the Great Lakes. You can give each person or pair one of the graphics to examine, assist individuals in interpreting the information, then have folks share what they learned:

a. Beach cleanup data: Notice that most of the trash is plastic, and most of that is food, beverage, and smoking related. Nearly all of this is preventable.

b. Oceans vs Great Lakes microplastic data: Notice that the concentration of microplastics is much greater in the Great Lakes than in the North Pacific Gyre.

c. Tributary data: Notice that no matter where you live, you are connected to the Great Lakes. Streams carry everything from the land to the lakes.

d. Sediment data You may want to ask the young people in the group if they have ever thought about being a scientist, and ask the adults about the research they have heard about in the Great Lakes. Introduce the group to the NOAA Marine Debris Tracker app, available for iPhone and Android. This allows anyone to report marine debris they find anywhere in the world - in the open ocean, around the Great Lakes, or on a beach. People interested in beach cleanups can do it on their own or contact Alliance for the Great Lakes. You can adopt-a-beach to monitor regularly, or participate in the annual Great Lakes wide event. Beaches all over Michigan will be scoured by volunteers to remove litter Saturday September 19, from 9 am-noon. Join in!


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2. Participate in trawling for microplastics

The trawl will be launched before the first rotation. Each group will participate in different parts of the trawling experience. Rotation 1 Rotation 2 Rotation 3 Rotation 4 Rotation 5

Discuss other research Steer the ship (possibly)

Label the jar (at some point) Record boat speed (every 5 min or so) Watch the trawl Haul in the trawl Record data Lower dayshape Rinse the trawl Transfer sample to jar When the sample is transferred to the jar DO NOT add alcohol, unless directed to do so. In other programs we add alcohol to preserve the sample, but for this program we are collecting a sample for the NEXT program to examine, which will be later that day or in the next day or so. The sample will keep well enough with just water until then.

3. Discuss future research possibilities around microplastics in the Great Lakes Participants may have questions or suggestions for future research. Do your best to answer questions about the direction microplastics research is heading, and validate any questions posed by participants. There are so many things we do not know, all questions are interesting. Researchers must balance the cost of doing the research with the potential benefit it will provide. Currently the cost to process samples containing microplastic is quite high because it is very labor intensive, hence the bottle neck is in processing the samples (which is normal for lots of research) not in collecting the samples.

4. Conclusion:

Emphasize how interesting and important it is to be a Great Lakes Scientist. The Great Lakes are an extremely important resource regionally and globally, and there are lots of questions to be answered about microplastic and everything else.

WEBSITES (RESEARCH) NOAA Marine Debris Tracker: http://www.marinedebris.engr.uga.edu/

Alliance for the Great Lakes, September beach cleanup sign up: http://www.greatlakesadopt.org/

Alliance for the Great Lakes, Adopt-a-beach program: http://www.greatlakes.org/ADOPTABEACH

CLEAN UP (RESEARCH)

o Thoroughly clean the sieve and store in cardboard box. o Be sure manta trawl is clean before being stored. o Put data sheet and sample in the microplastics bin so the Analysis station can use it on the next

program. o Inventory all equipment and store it neatly.


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Microplastics Summer Program: Plankton Station OVERVIEW (PLANKTON) This station gives participants a chance to observe the wondrous creatures that are plankton. They watch and identify the species, paying attention to how they move and how big they are. This station also emphasizes that microplastics can look like food; either they resemble plankton themselves, or they might be small enough for plankton to consume. We can all help plankton and reduce the amount of microplastic in the Great Lakes by refusing to buy cosmetics and personal care products that contain plastic ingredients. LEARNING OBJECTIVES (PLANKTON)

1. Observe and identify plankton species caught in the plankton net. 2. Recognize the place of plankton in the food web

a. Plankton is the foundation of the aquatic food web. b. Fish eat zooplankton who eat phytoplankton.

3. Identify the effects of microplastics on plankton and the organisms that eat plankton. (Plastic looks like food.)

a. Some microplastics are small enough for plankton to eat them – which can confer toxins or block their digestive systems.

b. Microplastics could be mistaken for plankton and be eaten by planktivores. c. Microplastics may adhere to plankton bodies.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION (PLANKTON) Plankton Plankton are organisms that are free-floating or suspended in the water. Plankton are separated into two categories, zooplankton are animals and phytoplankton are photosynthesizing organisms, usually either protists or bacteria. To collect plankton, a plankton net with a diameter of 20 inches and a mesh size of 153 µm (µm = microns; 1 µm = 1/1000 mm) is used for the sample collection. This mesh size allows most of the phytoplankton to pass through the net, while the zooplankton is retained. Many zooplankton are less than 1 mm in length, although some can be up to 25 mm long (ex: Mysis relicta). Phytoplankton capture sunlight energy and convert it to usable sugars, which is the primary path for energy to enter the lake food web. This makes phytoplankton the foundation of the aquatic food web. Zooplankton represent the next level of the food web, and many zooplankton feed upon phytoplankton. While some zooplankton are herbivores (eating only phytoplankton), others are carnivores (eating only animals) or omnivores (eating both plants and animals) and there is an entire food web in the plankton alone. As the base of the food web, the plankton (both phytoplankton and zooplankton) are very important to the Great Lakes ecosystem. If there is a decline in the abundance of plankton, it will result in declines in the entire food web – all the way up to game fish like lake trout and salmon.


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Microplastics & the Food Web Microplastics are plastic particles less than 5 mm in size. They often look similar to phytoplankton, and therefore many zooplankton or other aquatic organisms may mistake microplastics for food. When plankton consume microplastics, the plastic immediately becomes a part of the food web. Since plankton are so small, microplastics have the potential to clog their digestive systems. If they eat too many and cannot eliminate them from the body the plankton will not be able to take in enough food to sustain its life. Even if plankton can eliminate the plastic, the act of consuming it and ejecting it requires energy that could otherwise be used to acquire energy and nutrients. Consuming microplastic represents wasted energy. In addition to confusing microplastics for food, the small plastic pellets may adhere to the bodies of zooplankton. Consequently, when zooplankton are consumed by larger fish, these fish are indirectly consuming microplastics as well. Toxins found in microplastics, such as DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl) thus travel up the food web and throughout the ecosystem. MATERIALS AND TOOLS (in addition to those already at the plankton station)

o Sample of microbeads from personal care products o Examples of products that contain microbeads o Companies that have pledged to stop using plastic ingredients o Wallet cards listing plastic ingredients in personal care products o UNEP report on plastics in cosmetics and personal care products

SET UP (PLANKTON)

o Turn on microscope and TV, make sure everything is functioning o Be sure all equipment is available and ready to go.

TEACHING THE PLANKTON STATION 1. Observe and identify plankton species caught in the plankton net.

Examine plankton from the plankton net ● Observe their swimming and how they use their appendages to move the water around

them ● Point out distinguishing features of each species ● Name each species and note the relative abundance of each

2. Recognize the place of plankton in the food web

a. Plankton is the foundation of the aquatic food web. b. Fish eat zooplankton who eat phytoplankton.

● What role do you think plankton play in the food web? This question will assess their understanding of food web and where they think plankton belong.

● Use the food web diagram to have participants draw how plankton are connected to other organisms.

● How can a plankton end up in a human? We can eat one directly by swallowing lake water. OR when we eat a fish, the energy (a bit of it) and nutrients (a lot of it) from the plankton is in the fish.

● Where are plankton located on the food web? Plankton are the very base of the food web!


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3. Identify the effects of microplastics on plankton and the organisms that eat plankton

(Plastic looks like food.) a. Some microplastics are small enough for plankton to eat them – which can confer

toxins or block their digestive systems. b. Microplastics could be mistaken for plankton and be eaten by planktivores. c. Microplastics may adhere to plankton bodies.

● Show a sample of microbeads under the microscope. Notice how small they are. → Could a plankton eat one of these? → Could they be mistaken for a plankton? → What would happen if a plankton ate a piece of plastic instead of a food particle?

What would happen if a fish ate a piece of plastic instead of a plankton? The consequences might be greater for the plankton since it is so little. In both cases it depends on if the particle can be eliminated or if it stays in the body and if the particle contains any toxins (and if the toxins can leach out).

→ How could microplastics impact plankton communities? Zooplankton could confuse microplastics for food and consume plastic. Also, microplastics are able to adhere to the bodies of zooplankton. Then, when fish eat zooplankton, they are unintentionally consuming plastic as well!

4. Conclusion:

Not purchasing items with microbeads or other plastic ingredients is a great way to help plankton. Additionally, less tiny plastic in the water will help slow the amount of toxins passing through the food web. Use our wallet card when you read ingredient labels to avoid products that contain plastics. The NGO 5Gyres, estimated that one single care product (Neutrogena’s Deep Clean) contains 360,000 microbeads. That is a whole lot of plastic that you can keep out of the waters!

CLEAN UP (PLANKTON)

o Turn off microscope and TV. o Rinse petri dishes and eyedroppers. o Dispose of plankton sample and rinse the cup clean. o Report plankton data on the data sheet or to lead instructor. o Inventory all equipment and store it neatly.


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Microplastics Summer Program: Sample processing/Salt-water float Station OVERVIEW (SAMPLE PROCESSING) This station gives participants a chance to analyze a microplastics sample by putting it though a saltwater float and extracting floating particles on the surface. It also introduces cosmetics and personal care products as sources of microplastics. Products are sorted to determine the best choices for purchase, and participants are given wallet cards to help them make good choices in the store. LEARNING OBJECTIVES (SAMPLE PROCESSING)

1. Examine collected microplastics sample for plastic particles, and identify them under the microscope

2. Identify microplastics types: pellet, film, foam, fragment, fiber/line 3. Understand how to avoid products with microbeads in them

BACKGROUND INFORMATION (SAMPLE PROCESSING) Overview of density Materials with a density less than water will float, materials with a density greater than water will sink, and materials with a density similar to water will be neutrally buoyant, which means they will linger somewhere between the top and the bottom of a column of water. To see the density of different plastic types, see Table 1 in the Will it float? station manual. If we increase the density of water, more materials will float in it. It is very easy to increase the density of water by adding salt to it; salt water is more dense than fresh water. At this station we are trying to observe the plastic collected from the manta trawl. To do so, we mix the sample with salt water, look for floating bits that resemble plastic, remove them with tweezers, then observe them under magnification to determine the plastic type. How to perform a saltwater float You will use a sample that has been collected previously, not the sample collected that day. This sample will either be in a disconnected the cod end, or it will be in a labeled sample jar. If it is in a jar, the sample will contain only freshwater and no alcohol.

1. Transfer the sample to a basin on salt water. a. Transfer the sample directly to a basin of salt water. OR b. Transfer the sample into a series of stacked sieves to sort the sample by particle

size. Ultimately we need to record the plastic particles we find by size (0.333-1.0mm, 1.0-4.75 mm, >4.75mm) and the sieves can be helpful with this. However it is usually possible to eyeball particles to size categories in most cases. Your choice of methods.

2. Examine the surface of the water for particles that resemble plastic. Plastic particles might be colored – blue, pink, or green – or they might be white. Use tweezers to transfer plastic particles to a petri dish.

3. Observe the particles collected under magnification to confirm your identification of plastic. Plastic particles often have jagged edges, although pellets or beads may be quite elliptical.

4. Record the number of particles you found in each size category. 5. Repeat the process for each group.


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6. When finished, pour sample into the medium sieve (0.355 microns) to remove the water from the sample.

7. Scoop sample into the collection jar and wash out remaining debris with fresh water, using a minimal amount of water.

8. Label the petri dish with the sample number and seal with parafilm. 9. Label jar with sample number and start and end latitude and longitude, if not done so

already. 10. Add alcohol that equals the amount of water already in the jar (double the amount of

liquid). Close jar tightly and return sample and petri dish to the center. Datasheet is given to the lead instructor.

MATERIALS AND TOOLS (SAMPLE PROCESSING) o Wash basins (2) o Petri dishes o Lab tape and marker o Parafilm o Spoon and rubber spatula o Microscope, camera, television, and cables o Pressurized spray bottle o Diagram of microplastic types o Gallon of salt water o Samples of different types of plastic o Salt o Small wash bottle o Sieves (3 sizes) o Light o Tweezers (3) o Samples of products with and without microplastics. o Wallet cards o UNEP report on plastics in cosmetics and personal

care products SET UP

o Set up microscope, tv, and camera on the lab table down below o Find microplastic sample and prepare the sample for participants (as needed) o Fill pressurized spray bottle with water o Create salt solution if needed (1 cup of salt/1gallon of water). Containers hold 1 gallon. o Make sure all equipment is available and ready to go o

TEACHING THE SAMPLE PROCESSING STATION

1. Identify microplastics types: pellet, film, foam, fragment, fiber/line

Explain what we will be doing: processing a previously collected sample in search of microplastic particles. Researchers classify the particles into different types: pellet, film, foam, fragment, fiber/line. Show the laminated card that illustrates each type. Either before the search or after particles have been collected, show previously collected plastic particles. The dishes each contain a different type of plastic.

2. Examine collected microplastics sample for plastic particles, and identify them under the microscope You will be provided with a sample and data sheet from a previous sail. Have participants do as much of the work as possible. The first group can transfer the sample from the cod end (or the jar) into the salt water (or sieve). Then they can begin to examine the water for particles. A bright light is often helpful. Transfer particles to the petri dish, examine them under the microscope, and identify the particles by type.


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Be sure to record findings on the datasheet.

3. Understand how to avoid products with microbeads in them Where do microplastics come from? Some comes from the breakdown of larger items, which is secondary microplastic, but some plastics are produced to be very small and are found in our cosmetics and personal care products. How do we keep them out of the water? Until legislation is in effect to ban microplastics from cosmetics and personal care products, consumers must make informed choices. Currently Michigan has proposed legislation to ban microplastics, but even if that ban passes it won’t be effective until 2019, so consumers need to be responsible until then. Show list of plastics commonly found in personal care products and cosmetics (polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, copolymer, etc) and give folks a chance to practice making good choices. Have participants sort products into those that contain plastics and those that don’t by reading ingredient labels.

4. Conclusion: Take a wallet card to remind you of the ingredients to avoid when shopping. Look up the report on plastics in cosmetics and personal care products to get informed.

WEBSITES (SAMPLE PROCESSING) Report on microplastics in cosmetics and personal care products, June 8, 2015, UN Environmental Program (UNEP) http://www.unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=26827&ArticleID=35180 Fighting pollution from microbeads used in soaps and creams. The New York Times. May 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/23/business/energy-environment/california-takes-step-to-ban-microbeads-used-in-soaps-and-creams.html?_r=0 CLEAN UP (SAMPLE PROCESSING)

o Put away microscope and camera in the cabinet above the plankton station. o Put TV on a bunk (or return it to he building if an overnight group will be on the ship

next) o Store gallon containers and spray bottles in the forward compartment under the bunk at

the plankton station. o Completely clean all sieves and store in cardboard boxes to protect them o Rinse and clean all equipment o Give datasheet to the lead instructor o Label and seal petri dish and sample jar. o Inventory all equipment and store it neatly in the microplastics bin o


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Microplastic Summer Program: Plastics Pledge OVERVIEW (PLASTICS PLEDGE) Stewardship and actions people can take are woven throughout the program, but this is the point when instructors can have a real conversation with participants about what they think about plastic consumption and what each of us can do to reduce plastic input to the Great Lakes. LEARNING OBJECTIVES (PLASTICS PLEDGE):

3. Understand that all we need to do is our part. We don’t need to, nor can we, solve the whole issue of plastics consumption and microplastic pollution on our own.

4. Take a pledge to reduce plastic consumption or plastic waste.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION (PLASTICS PLEDGE) There are lots of ways people can reduce plastics in their lives. In this program we are emphasizing people reduce their use of single-use plastic items. In most cases there are reasonable alternatives, such as sipping directly from a cup rather than using a straw, bringing your own thermos to coffee shops, and offering paper plates and cups rather than plastic at gatherings. We hope this program will give people new ideas about ways to reduce plastic use in their lives. This program lends itself naturally to Great Lakes stewardship, since all people use plastics, and nearly all of us could endeavor to use less of it. One potential pitfall, however, is that people will feel guilty or overwhelmed at the problem of microplastics and give up. We need to emphasize that this is a problem created by society, and not by an individual person, therefore it requires all of us to just do our part. There is no more that we need to do. Just do what we can do, in our own big or small way, and that will be what the world needs most. Inspirational quotes If you know and do not do, you do not know. – Chinese proverb Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not. – The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. – Wild Geese, by Mary Oliver MATERIALS AND TOOLS (PLASTICS PLEDGE) o Make Plastics in the Great Lakes History, laminated sheet o Eliminate Plastics, wallet card SET UP (PLASTICS PLEDGE)

o Have ready the make plastics history laminated sheets, and wallet cards.


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TEACHING THE PLASTICS PLEDGE STATION At the end of the rotations, everyone will come on deck and the lead will guide the discussion. 1. Understand that all we need to do is our part. We don’t need to, nor can we, solve the

whole issue of plastics consumption and microplastic pollution on our own. Now that you have had a chance to learn the latest research on microplastics and participate in gathering data about microplastics in this region, we want to give you a chance to discuss what can be done to make microplastics in the Great Lakes history. We each have a way to contribute, and every person doing their part is what will make a difference.

2. Take a pledge to reduce plastic consumption or plastic waste. Each of the instructors has a sheet that shows some of the things we can do in our lives to keep microplastics out of the lakes. Some of the things are really small, such as refuse straws, but they can get bigger if you pledge to do them for a longer period of time. If you are willing to take a pledge you can write it down in your logbook. Get with the people around you to talk about what could be done. In small groups, instructors can go through some of the options, and discuss what they found most interesting or important about the program. This can be a fairly informal conversation that goes where the participants want to take it. Instructors can share what they have pledged to do to make plastics in the Great Lakes history. Instructors should be willing to discuss how their pledge is going, including times they did not follow through and what they are doing about it. The lead can circulate among groups to hear what people are thinking and contribute to conversations. If time, the lead can ask people to share their pledges or what they are thinking about now that they have experienced this program.

3. Conclusion

Use one or more of the Stewardship questions if they seem appropriate to your group: • What is the most important thing you learned? • Compare how you thought about the Great Lakes/microplastics before you got on

the ship to how you think about them now. • What do you want other people to know about the Great Lakes/microplastics? • What do you wish for the Great Lakes? What can be done to make that wish a

reality?

It takes a team of people to run a ship like this, a group of scientists to conduct research on microplastics, and a collection of people to care for the Great Lakes. None of us can do it alone. Thank you for being scientists on our program, and we hope you continue to use your scientist super powers even after you the ship. Before participants depart the captain will thank the group and say a few words.

CLEAN UP (PLASTICS PLEDGE)

o Store additional laminated sheets and pledge cards. o Report any materials that are low or missing to Jeanie or Tom.

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