Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

(Given to teachers to prepare their students BEFORE the trip) MICROPLASTICS GROUP Research Questions for Diving Deeper

Introduction: These are the research questions and method we will use for your Diving Deeper experience at Inland Seas. This procedure does not have room for modification, but we recommend coming with questions and thoughts about microplastics, their abundance in the ecosystem, how they get into the lake, how they affect the ecosystem, and what can be done about it. This is your research experience; make it meaningful for you!

Background: Dr. Sheri Mason, now at Penn State Behrend, was the first person to look for microplastics in the Great Lakes, in 2012. What she found was shocking – microplastic concentrations are several times greater than concentrations found in ocean waters, particularly for very small plastic particles. Today, we know microplastics are present in the Great Lakes and we know a little bit about how abundant they are, but we don’t know is, How does microplastic abundance change over the course of a year, and how does microplastic abundance change in one place from year to year? At Inland Seas we are working with Dr. Mason to answer those questions by regularly trawling for microplastics in Suttons Bay. Samples collected on your Diving Deeper trip will be saved and sent to Dr. Mason for further processing and added into the larger dataset of samples taken for Lake Michigan.

ISEA Method: We collect water samples with a manta trawl, which floats on the surface of the water and can be hauled by the boat while we sail. Attached to the trawl is a long, fine mesh net, which filters the water and traps particles that are present in the surface waters. The net is towed for 30 minutes in a straight line.

When the trawl comes in, all the debris it collected is rinsed from the net into a wash basin. Next the sample is placed in fresh water (not lake water), and stirred. Your group will look through the sample, remove any particles that look like plastic and examined them under a microscope to classify the particles into types: fiber, pellet, foam, fragment, or film.

The collected particles are preserved in labeled petri dishes. All of the remaining debris (including any plastic particles we did not find) is preserved in a jar and sent to Dr. Mason’s lab in Behrend, PA to be processed with a hydrogen peroxide wash, which dissolves organic material and reveals plastic bits. Those plastic bits are sorted by size and classified by type.

Your choice: ➢ The manta trawl collects everything that is on the surface of the water. Your group could identify the other things that come in with the trawl, and count or otherwise quantify the material that is collected. ➢ Microplastics plastics float when they are less dense than water. Bring different plastic materials on board and test how their ability to float changes in salt or fresh water. ➢ What else can you do to learn more about microplastics or the water surface? Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

Ship plan This plan is approximate. Be flexible, as we know you are! Time Ship Microplastics Research Group version 4.0 8:00 Getting Arrive 30 min before school arrives to set-up: 12:45 ready  Microplastics research bin: packet of handouts, nut driver, metal 30 min bucket, sample  Microplastics teaching materials: plastics trash, samples, nesting dolls  Down below: petri dishes of microplastic types, white wash bin, pressurize sprayer, mason jar, marker, label tape.  TV, microscope, camera  Datasheets, clipboard, pencil 8:30 LEAD meets the group and brings them to the ship 8:40 At the 1. Meet your group, learn names, and write names on index cards. 1:25 dock 2. Ask students what they have studied about microplastics and if they know 25 min Ready what we will be doing today. If they don’t know, give an overview: and Deploying a surface trawl to collect small bits of plastic (and anything else) Waiting that might be there. Suggest recording types of other materials (leaves, insects, etc) on the water surface. 3. Give clipboard with datasheets to the students. 4. Students present their plan to the captain and crew. 5. Captain and Lead give feedback and ask clarifying questions. 6. Weather report and safety talk by the captain. 7. Board the ship when it is your turn. Microplastics group sits amidships. 9:05 1. Cast off Note: Keep an ear out for the captain’s warning for the horn 1:50 2. Motor Get started with project introductions right away. 25 min to 1. Orient to the project. Define microplastics and show previously collected mound samples. Show maps of microplastics collections in the Great Lakes. We are 3. Drop collecting data that will add dots to this map, and to learn how traps microplastics concentrations change from season to season and from year to year. 2. Show the data sheets and how to fill them out. Explain sampling protocol. Show students where to find depth (for all meters ADD 4 FEET), and latitude and longitude. 3. LEAD INSTRUCTOR will visit your group to give an orientation to the data sheets: • Fill out all portions. Write clearly. Have another group member review your work. • Collect start data when the trawl hits the water, and end data just before the trawl comes out of the water, b/c we change course and speed to extract trawl safely. 4. Teach how the Manta trawl works. Measure width of the trawl opening. 5. Discuss sources of microplastics: break down of larger items (secondary microplastics), and ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products (primary microplastics). 6. Explore densities of different plastics by floating plastic items in a bucket of water and with chart of different plastic types and uses and their densities rel. to water. 7. Go down below to microscope to examine microplastic samples we have Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

collected on previous trips. Teach different types: line/fiber, pellet, foam, fragment, film 8. Discuss effects of microplastics on the food web: They are so small that anything can eat them. Use nesting dolls to illustrate indirect consumption and bioaccumulation. Plastics are not digestible, plastics can contain toxins. 9. Share data on beach clean-ups, and highlight the predominance of plastic litter. 10. Solutions: End the flow of microplastics to the Great Lakes (discuss specific actions) 9:30 1. Motor 1. Weather data 2:15 to 2. Surface water temperature (use a bucket) 35 min sample 3. Secchi disk measurement station 4. Discuss secchi trends and ecosystem change 2. Heave to 10:05 Set sails Head sails Might change this, so MP does Main Peak, and WQ does the 2:50 headsails 15 min 1. Mate will give a sail talk prior to raising sails. Tidy station in prep for raising sails. 2. Once the Foresail is up, move the Manta Trawl to the lifejacket box, Starboard side. 10:20 Silence, facilitated by Lead Instructor 3:05 10:25 Launch 1. Launch the manta trawl (2 students + crew) 3:10 manta 2. Record launch data at the stern (1 student + instructor) 5 min trawl 3. Raise the dayshape (1 student + crew) 10:30 Sail w/ Stay on deck, at the stern to observe the trawl, steer, relax 3:15 trawl 1. Record boat speed every 5 min and monitor the trawl 30 min until we 2. Make labels for petri dish and sample jar complete 3. With crew: 30 min • If sailing conditions are mild, students can assist at the helm and tow possibly on lines • If conditions are more risky (i.e. very windy), students may act as lookouts. Lookouts watch the surrounding waters for other craft or debris and alert the captain of anything noticed. 4. Continue with any discussions or topics not completed before the trawl launch. 5. Have a discussion about environmental issues (if time/desired) See Closing Questions for a guide to this conversation. 11:00 Haul in 1. Recover the manta trawl (2 students + crew) 3:45 trawl 2. Record end data at the stern (1 student + instructor) 5 min 3. Lower the dayshape (1 student + crew) 11:05 Sail back 50 Minutes: Go down below to large table for examining particles under 3:50 to traps microscope. 10 min 1. Rinse all debris to bottom of cod end. Turn cod end inside out, rinse sample 11:15 Sailing from the cod end into wash basin. Add clean water to basin. 4:00 and 2. Record all of the different things in the sample: leaves, spider, pollen, etc. 10 min Collect 3. Use flashlight to see microplastics. Remove bits that look like plastics. traps Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

11:25 Sailing Transfer to petri dish (labeled with sample number only). 4:10 4. Examine bits under microscope and classify by size and plastic type. 30 min 5. Record color, size, and type for each on datasheet. 6. Sieve everything from the wash basin. Use a small amount of water to transfer debris from sieve to jar. Label lid and jar with: sample number, start and end lat and long. 7. Calculate density of microplastics form this trawl. Compare to previous data. 8. IMPORTANT: Check all data sheets to be sure they are complete and legible 9. Prepare students for their presentation – have students decide what they want to teach and let them practice 10. Students: Tidy materials and area. Stow unneeded equipment, but keep petri dish of microplastics samples available for the peer teaching rotation. 11:55 Sailing Students teach about Microplastics: types of microplastics, sources, and 4:40 Crew only ecosystem impacts, equipment, findings, actions to take 20 min Instructor works microscope and prompts students if they need help 12:10 Strike sail 1. Finish sample storage. Seal labeled petri dish with parafilm. 4:55 2. Closing/ Wrap-up: Ask reflective questions in your small group to wrap up 10 min the experience. Use one of the closing questions sets as a guide (on another sheet) A. Use the standard Schoolship Stewardship questions B. Discuss solving environmental problems C. Ask questions about Great Lake, Freshwater, and STEM careers D. Share learning from the Peer teaching rotation. 12:20 Docking Everyone on deck, starboard side. Lead instructor does wrap-up and leads 5:05 thank yous. 10 min Group photograph. 12:30 Disembark / 5:15

Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

LEADING THIS GROUP

A. On-Dock preparation 15 min

When the group arrives, they will be divided into groups. 1. Greet your group 2. Assign students to sailing responsibilities. They may already know what they will do. Write this info on your index card. a. One student monitors the trawl, records boat speed intermittently, and takes notes as needed with the microplastics instructor. b. Two or three students help the crew man the sails c. Two students at the helm with the captain d. If there are seven students a decision will be made at the ship as to what that student will do with the crew. e. The trawl must be monitored for 30 minutes, which might be a long time. This group might want to change responsibilities half-way through the monitoring time. The instructor can make a decision with the students about what will be best for the group. 3. These students don’t need to present anything before we departure, but they do need to be identified by the crew. The captain may have information about sailing conditions that will impact the trawl experience.

After a few minutes of getting organized the captain or group leader will call for everyone’s attention. 1. Each group will announce what they will be researching 2. The microplastics group will simply be identified as the microplastics group 3. Instructors and crew will accept the research plan and offer suggestions or modifications if necessary (to other groups) 4. The captain will report on the weather conditions and how those conditions will influence the day’s sail.

Captain will give the safety talk

Groups will board the ship one at a time with their instructors. The microplastics group sits midship.

B. Introduction 15 min

As soon as you are able, begin the introduction. Below are points to cover, but you will get to pick and choose based on what is most appropriate for your group and how much time you have to fill. You can bring in these ideas throughout the program.

➢ Keep an ear out for when the horn will sound and alert students to cover their ears

Order these pieces in the way that works best for you and your group. Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

1. Introduction Begin with some basic information about microplastics. Show a microplastics sample to get them familiar with what we will be researching. a. Discuss the sample with students. What do you think is in this vial? Where do you think it came from? Can you guess at the source of any of the particles in this vial? This plastic was found in the Great Lakes (specific location of collection is on the sample vial). b. Today we will be looking for plastic like this, and even smaller in Suttons Bay. Bits of plastic smaller than 5mm in every dimension are called microplastics. c. Why do you think we want to study microplastics? See notes below for background that might apply to students‘ answers to this question. i. One big reason is because we don’t know anything about it. There might be something really important to know, and we have to study it to find out. ii. In the oceans microplastics have a big impact, so we suspect they might have a big impact here too. However the Great Lakes are a different type of ecosystem so there are likely to be differences in the quantities and impacts of microplastics in the Great Lakes. iii. Science can help us understand what is going on and what actions are likely to have the biggest impact on the lakes and the lake ecosystem. d. How do you think plastics get into the water? i. Littering ii. Storm water iii. Poor waste management (blowing off of trucks, etc.) iv. Industrial losses (production, transport, processing) v. Sewage treatment plants (when people wash substances that contain plastic down the drain) e. Where do you think microplastics come from? Students should be able to propose sources. Let their ideas guide the discussion. i. Microplastics are usually the remains of a larger plastic item. Through abrasion, wave action, and break-down from the sun the larger pieces are broken down into smaller pieces. Plastics can get into the water from rivers, beach-goers, boaters, and wind blowing trash around. There is research underway to find out where plastics originate. ii. Another source is from body products. Show a body product that contains microbeads and the electron micrograph image that shows the similarity between the microbead and the microplastic collected in the manta trawl. Microbeads probably come from wastewater treatment plants, which cannot filter microbeads out of sewage water. Look for these words on products: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate iii. Plastic pellets are also used in manufacturing processes and are sometimes lost to the environment. iv. There is legislation proposed to ban microbeads from products sold in Michigan by 2019. Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

2. The research project We have known for decades about plastic debris in the oceans. Places such as the North Pacific Gyre, also known as the “Pacific ,” concentrate . Here researchers consistently collect high concentrations of plastic particles, most of them about the size of confetti. 5 Gyres Institute researches plastic pollution in all of the oceans, communicates their findings to the general public, and advocates for changes in plastic use and disposal. Find more about them and issues of oceanic plastic pollution at http://5gyres.org.

It was only recently that researchers began to wonder about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. Could the same problems in the ocean be occurring here? In 2012 Dr. Sheri Mason, then at the State University of New York Fredonia was the first person to look for microplastics in the Great Lakes. What she found was shocking – microplastic concentrations several times greater than concentrations found in ocean waters, particularly for very small plastic particles.

You might show the data that compares Great Lakes and Ocean plastic concentrations, and the figures that show plastic sampling done in the Great Lakes. Give students time to look at the data and come to conclusions on their own.

Today, we know microplastics are present in the Great Lakes and we know a little bit about how abundant they are, but we don’t know is, How does microplastic abundance change over the course of a year, and how does microplastic abundance change in one place from year to year? At Inland Seas we are working with Dr. Mason to answer those questions by regularly trawling for microplastics in Suttons Bay.

We collect water samples with a manta trawl, which floats on the surface of the water and can be hauled by the boat. Attached to the trawl is a long, fine mesh net, which filters the water and traps particles that are present in the surface waters. The net is towed for 30 minutes at 2-3 knots (2.5-3.5 mph, about walking pace) in a straight line.

When the trawl comes in, all the debris it collected is rinsed from the net into a wash basin. Next the sample is placed in clean water, not lake water, in a wash basin. The floating plastic particles are skimmed off the surface and examined under a microscope to classify the particles into types: fiber, pellet, foam, fragment, or film.

The examined samples are preserved in labeled containers. The whole sample collected, everything left in the wash basin, is also preserved and sent to Dr. Mason’s lab in Behrend to be processed with a hydrogen peroxide wash, which dissolves organic material and reveals plastic bits. Those plastic bits are sorted by size and classified by type.

Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

3. More about microplastics (Discuss this information as it comes up in discussion and as there is time) a. How do you think microplastics might affect the food web? Students should be able to come up with most of these possibilities; it is not necessary to cover all of this information: i. Plastics are eaten by fish and . The plastic may stay in the animal’s stomach, unable to be digested or egested (pooped out). If the stomach fills up there won’t be space for food and the animal will starve. But even if the animal is able to eliminate it, the animal wasted energy eating useless food. Data has been collected to show that perch do eat plastic. We don’t know for sure if plankton eat plastic particles, but observations suggest this is probably happening. ii. Larger animals can ingest plastic by eating smaller animals that have plastic in their stomachs. This means that larger animals may actually eat more plastic than smaller animals. Data has been collected to show that cormorants (who eat perch) contain much more plastic in their stomachs that perch do. iii. Plastics can absorb chemicals in the water, such as DDT and PCBs which can make the chemicals more available to animals when they eat the plastic. There is evidence of this occurring in the ocean, and scientists are looking into how this happens in a fresh water system. iv. Filter feeding organisms like mussels and snails might also eat microplastics. We suspect they do, but don’t know the effects just yet. More research is needed. v. The manta trawl skims water at the surface. There is probably also plastic at the bottom of the lake (many plastics sink). Research is underway to find out if this is happening and the quantity of plastic there. vi. Animal entanglement in larger plastic items can lead to drowning, starvation, deformity, and other problems. vii. Animals can ingest plastics leading to loss of nutrition, wasted energy, internal injury, intestinal blockage, starvation, and excess toxin exposure viii. There has been some research in the ocean that demonstrates food web effects, but the work in the Great Lakes has just begun. ix. 17 species of fish and the double crested cormorant have been studied and all contain plastics in their stomach. For all species 75-100% of all individuals contain plastic pieces or fibers. Fibers are the most common. x. Studies on plankton and filter feeders are planned, and need funding. xi. Need more research to demonstrate harmful effects. (Pollutants are defined as causing harmful effects on organisms.) b. What can be done about microplastics? This is a partial list, but there are so many things that can be done to limit the amount of plastic in the environment. i. Choose products that do not contain plastics ii. Choose products without plastic packaging iii. Choose to not use plastic when there are other options available iv. Be hyper responsible with our plastic waste, and recycle as much as possible Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

v. Collect plastic litter and dispose of it properly vi. There is legislation in Michigan that proposes to ban the sale of products in Michigan that contain microbeads. If passed this law would be effective January 2019. Other states have already passed similar bans. vii. Write to product manufacturers demanding plastic alternatives. viii. Ban plastic grocery bags, or charge to use plastic grocery bags, or give a small discount for every reusable bag customers provide ix. Retrofitting wastewater treatment plants to filter out microbeads is putting our energy and resources in the wrong place. The best solutions are in place as upstream (as close to the source) as possible. Money would be better spent finding alternatives to plastic beads in body products, many of which have no express purpose other than to add color.

c. Where else might we find microplastics besides the Great Lakes? i. Oceans – there has been a lot of study on plastics in the oceans, both quantities and types, and effects on the ocean environment and food web, but there is still a lot to learn. In the Great Lakes as compared to the oceans we have much higher concentrations of microplastics, much more pellets, and much more in the smallest size categories. ii. Rivers – current research is looking at 28 rivers that discharge into the Great Lakes. Finding very high levels of microfibers! iii. Other Lakes and Rivers around the US and around the world. No one has looked before. There is a lot to learn!

d. Where do you think we could find the most plastic: on the surface, at the bottom, or in the middle of the water column? i. We are looking at the surface it’s the easiest place to look. Also a lot of plastic floats, and small bits are likely to be suspended simply because they are light. ii. Work has just begun to look at plastics in the sediment. About half of all plastics are more dense than water so is expected to sink. No one has looked at ocean sediments (they are too deep!) iii. There is probably a lot of plastic suspended in between the top and bottom, floating on currents and generally hanging out. We look in organisms who feed in the pelagic zone to get an indication.

e. We know very little about microplastics in the Great Lakes. Scientists are currently investigating all sorts of questions and you are part of that team. At Inland Seas we are also collecting data to answer questions about how microplastics interact with the lakes. i. The data we collect will help us understand if there are seasonal differences in microplastic abundance. Is it more common in spring or summer or fall? Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

ii. Our data will also give data nearshore, whereas most of the data collected so far are from the main basins of the lakes. Show map of where data has been collected so far. We will send our samples to a scientist in Pennsylvania whose lab will count and classify any plastic particles we collect. Sheri “Sam” Mason at Penn State Behrend. She is the research scientist who first sampled for microplastics on the Great Lakes in 2012.

C. Heave-to, set-up the Messer davit, prepare the trawl 15 min Wait to look at the trawl until we have left the dock and the port side of the ship is clear. 1. Students can unlash the trawl and move it to the cabin top in the stern so everyone can get a good look at it. 2. Name the Manta trawl. Named this because it looks like a manta ray. 3. Tell students that the purpose of the Manta Trawl is to skim the surface of the water. Ask them to figure out how it works, and what they think we will catch. a. How is it oriented in the water? Open end is the bottom b. What are the wings for? Buoyant, keeps mouth of net at the surface c. What does the hood do? Hood deflects wave crests into the net d. What is the mesh for? To contain material of a certain size e. Where does the sample collect? In the cod-end of the trawl f. Does the size of the holes in the mesh impact what we will get? Explain. Yes, anything smaller than holes will go through mesh, anything larger will be caught in the net. g. What do you think it will capture? Let students come up with ideas, there are no “right” answer here, we are hypothesizing! 4. When we heave to, students can help the crew set up the Messer davit. 5. Attach the towline to the bridle with a bowline (crew will help with this) 6. Move the trawl to the starboard side of the boat with the net and cod-end extended in preparation for launching.

D. Secchi depth and ecosystem change conversation 15 min When the trawl is ready to go and students are introduced to microplastics, collect one or more secchi readings. Give at least 15 min to collect the reading and discuss the results, but feel free to give more time if desired.

E. Raise the sails 15 min You or a crew member can instruct the students on the sails of the ship and the line handling commands. Points to include: 1. The sails include: the Main sail (most aft and largest sail), the Fore sail (forward of the main mast), and the headsails (in the front of the boat, the jib and jib topsail) 2. To raise the sails we haul on a line called a “halyard” 3. Listen to the mate as directions are given. “Haul away on the fore peak halyard.” Respond by repeating the command, then follow the command. “Haul away on the fore peak halyard.” Then start hauling. 4. These are the commands to know: a. Haul away – start hauling hand over hand, haul steadily but no need to race, don’t let there be slack between you and the person in front of you, make Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

sure the line is between you and the water, try not to stand on the line, let the line pile on the deck behind you (if you are last in line) b. Avast – hold the line with both hands without hauling or letting it go slack c. Up Behind – drop the line on the deck and raise your hands above your head. Raising your hands gets them out of the way and signals to everyone that the line is being dropped. d. Heave-Ho – when the line needs an extra hard pull, one person will shout “Heave!” and everyone else will shout “Ho!” as they pull the line strongly and in unison. The combination of shouting and pulling hard together gives us extra power. 5. Some students may help on the sheets. This will be situation dependent and crew members will direct students on what to do. 6. After each sail goes up, you or a crew member can instruct students on how to coil and hang lines. Give students a chance to do it themselves (if possible walk away after they seem to get the hang of it) and then check their work. If it is good enough then let it be. If it is too messy or incorrectly coiled, take it off the pin and let the student try again. 7. Once sails are set and your students are finished with their responsibilities, gather them together.

F. Launch the manta trawl 15 min At this point in the program, the ship is getting set up to run in a straight line for 30 min to collect the microplastics sample. The microplastics group is working with the crew to orient the ship and launch the manta trawl. There are a number of tasks at this time: 1. One or two students fill in data sheet (start time, lat/long, boat speed, etc.) with the instructor. 2. One student raises the dayshape with a crewmember. 3. Three students launch the trawl with the crew.

G. Seamanship responsibilities: Sailing and towing the manta trawl 5 min The microplastics group will need to continue to monitor the manta trawl and tend to ship duties, so may not be directly involved in dropping the minnow traps with the Fish group. These are the duties for the microplastics group while the trawl is underway: - One student monitors the trawl, records boat speed intermittently, and takes notes as needed with the microplastics instructor. - Two or three students help the crew man the sails - Two students at the helm with the captain - If there are seven students a decision will be made at the ship as to what that student will do with the crew. - The trawl must be monitored for 30 minutes, which might be a long time for some students. This group might want to change responsibilities half-way through the monitoring time. The instructor can make a decision with the students about what will be best for the group.

Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

When the trawl has been in the water for 30 min, students will help the crew haul in the trawl and lower the day shape, and end data will be recorded. At this point the students’ sailing duties are complete and another group will take over.

H. Process manta trawl sample (part 1) 10 min When the trawl comes on board, the microplastics instructor will begin processing the sample with the students. You will have about 10 minutes to get the sample out of the cod end, pour it into a wash basin, and begin the visual examination. Directions for processing the sample are in a separate document.

I. Process manta trawl sample (part 2) 35 min After recovering and stowing the Manta Trawl the microplastic group may move below deck to finish processing their sample. Remove any plastic particles that are floating in the wash basin and examine them under the microscope to determine if they are pellets, fragments, lines or fibers, films, or foam. Record all data on the data sheet.

If time, calculate the number of particles per square kilometer and compare to data collected in other parts of the Great Lakes and the oceans.

Also remember that the debris from our sample will be sent to a lab to be processed further. More plastic might be hidden in the debris.

More detailed directions for processing the sample are in a separate document.

J. Presentation prep 5 min Students will have about 3 minutes to present what they know to the other students. Take some time to prepare the students for their talk. What is it the other students need to know about microplastics and your research? Work together to choose what students want to say and take some time to practice the presentation. Some things to consider: a. What are microplastics? b. Where to they come from? How do they get in the lake? c. How does the manta trawl work? d. What effect might microplastics have on the food web? e. Show the sample that was collected today. f. Explain what will happen with the sample next.

K. Moment of silence 3 min Before the presentations we will take a couple of moments to just listen and reflect on what we have experienced so far. Let your senses tune to the surroundings. The lead instructor will guide the group at this time.

L. Groups teach each other (Peer Teach) 20 min Each group will need to breakup in a way that sends individuals to different new groups. The lead instructor will instruct you on how to divide your students into new groups. Guidelines for how to break into groups match the guidelines in the Next-Gen program. Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

These new groups will contain one or more individuals from each of the original groups. The new groups will rotate around the boat to visit each instructor. When they visit each instructor the student(s) from the group who worked with that instructor will present on the topic they have been studying. Students have 3 minutes to present, giving 1 min to rotate between instructors.

In your case, students in the microplastics group will each go to a different group. In their new groups they will visit each of the instructors, one at a time. When each microplastics student gets to the microplastics instructor, the student will teach their colleagues what they have been learning and what their colleagues need to know about microplastics and research Inland Seas is conducting.

M. Clean Up & Big challenge 10 min

When you are finished with the visual examination and counting the plastic particles, clean up your materials and properly store the sample. Involve the students with getting the sample from the wash basin into the mason jar, clearly writing out labels, dry and put away station materials. The lead instructor will let you know when to come up.

If there is time after processing, microplastics students will take on the “big challenge”. Stewardship questions are written out on a yellow card in the instructor folder.

N. Closing / wrap-up 10 min At this time, the ship will be coming into dock. Everyone will gather on deck to share their findings and say thank you.

The microplastics group will share the number of plastic particles they found and the density (particles/km2) of plastic in the Bay at this time. Appoint one student to make this quick announcement.

The lead instructor will lead the group in showing appreciation for all of the people and organisms who contributed to our trip.

Students will disembark.

Diving Deeper Instructor Manual Microplastics Group ISEA

Points to cover with the Microplastics Research Group: 1. The nature of scientific research: We are learning new things all the time, but there is still a lot to discover. Knowledge is gained one step at a time in a scientific way. Funding sources drive the things we study. Microplastics are a completely new area of study, especially in the Great Lakes/freshwater. 2. Microplastics are not benign (they contain toxins, and can absorb toxins) but we don’t know how harmful they might be, for wildlife or for humans. More research is needed. 3. Microplastics are small enough to be inside of any organism, and they can be transferred through the food web as one organism eats another. Microplastics bio-accumulate, and are more concentrated in predators. 4. Microplastics come from human activity and can be prevented through changes in human activities.