"Intended Location/Department: Science Department
Description:
The microplastics team is a group of science students led by instructors K. Owens and A. Murkowski. We are doing research in conjunction with UW Tacoma and the Center for Urban Waters. We intend to conduct our own independent research to look for small plastic particles at the water surface of freshwater systems. To that aim we would like to purchase 2 plankton nets, and a flow meter. We will mount one net to a frame that has been custom designed and donated to us by a local engineer for use behind a boat in wetlands or lakes. The other net will be used in streams, creeks or rivers to collect floating particles.
Expected Benefits:
Outdoor labs with engaging equipment like the nets also foster an appreciation for science, nature, and sustainability in students. This purchase will allow the NSCC microplastic team to conduct novel research that has never been conducted by anyone in the world. This is cutting edge research looking for microplastic concentrations in the water column of fresh water systems.
In the future, other NSCC students in a variety of scientific disciplines will be able to utilize these Plankton nets equipped with flow meter to capture, observe, and quantify organisms and debris suspended in the water column. The information gathered from on-campus studies with flow meter-equipped plankton nets will contribute to NSCC's wetland restoration by providing data on wetland life and pollution. The geologic sieves can be used by geology students as well.
Line Items:
1– Flow Meter………………………….……..$370
1– Drift net……………………………………$350
1 -Custom net for manta frame……………..…$130
1- Cod-end jar and assembly……………………$80
2 – Geological Sieves………………………….$200"
What say you, team microplastics?
I think it sounds pretty good - short and to the point, clear representation of goals and equipment needed. I think we should add a plankton net assembly from General Oceanics, since it came with a bridle etc.
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