Post by Ella Donaldson

My summer in the HWS Microplastics REU has kicked off in Geneva, NY! I have begun collecting and analyzing water samples from Seneca, Hemlock, and Canadice Lakes in the Finger Lakes region! So far Zoey Smith and I have explored what makes each lakes' watershed unique, collected surface water samples via canoe, and water samples from the sediment-water interface with a Mini Niskin Sampler. I have also learned to use a vacuum filtration system to consolidate the particles onto cellulose filters, and imaged those filters under royal blue and uv light in order to identify organic and plastic fibers. This has been an amazing experience so far, and I cannot wait to continue to develop my research project by comparing current microplastic levels to past years of collection to identify patterns and draw conclusions from the differences throughout each lake! I am excited to see my project grow from proposal, to data collection, to analyzation and conclusions.