San Juan County Beach Watchers will soon begin their third round of beach sampling to determine the quantity of micro-plastics intermingled with the sand on our local beaches. This sampling and sorting process is part of a research project being done by the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (MSC) on the shorelines of counties all around the American Salish Sea.
Twice a year, (October and March,) buckets of sand are collected from these areas. The sand and other organic materials are sifted out, and the remaining man-made products (99% plastic,) are then sorted into different categories and counted. The samples are sent to the MSC, where the tabulated results are analyzed to determine the prevalence of small plastic particles in our marine environment, and where it is most heavily concentrated.
This Fall's sampling will take place during the week of October 18 on Orcas and Lopez, and a number of volunteers will be needed. If you haven't already done so, please contact Nancy Alboucq on Orcas or Susan Muckle on Lopez if you would like to help out. It is an interesting and thought-provoking project - come join us!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment