TestingOurWaters.net - Citizen Science Marine Pollution Data Processing

Welcome to the TestingOurWaters Marine Processing Protocol. We hope you find our steps easy to follow and thorough. As a citizen scientist your job is to provide the front line on our defense against ocean plastics.

Below is the TestingOurWaters Marine Processing Protocol. More information can be found on our website: http://www.testingourwaters.net/

TestingOurWaters is a project created to study and inform the general population on the negative effects of microplastics in the marine bodies. Our moto is not to clean the water but to understand the issue and create solutions to prevent it from happening.

We collect our data with trawls, we invite you to test our trawls of your own. After one is done trawling it is important to process the samples to collect data.

The steps below demonstrate the simple process on how to sort organic and inorganic material.

Note: Samples should initially be placed in an airtight jar filled with one to two caps full of hydrogen peroxide and water directly after trawling.

Step 1: Tools and Materials

-Gloves to keep your hands clean

-Tweezers to meticulously sort the sample

-Paper Towel to dry the samples

-0.5 mm Grid Paper to log/document the samples

Step 2:

Take out the samples from jar.

Step 3:

Drain the net.

Step 4:

Flip the net inside out.

Step 5:

Let your the sample dry for 10 minutes in the net.

Step 6:

Use tweezers to pick out the samples from the net meticulously.

Step 7:

Sort the inorganic and organic material using tweezers from the net on to the 0.5mm grid paper.

Step 8:

Photograph your findings and upload the data to our Pollution page and recycle the sample accordingly.

Pollution Page: http://www.testingourwaters.net/new-page/