LADI Trawl
"LADI (Low-tech Aquatic Debris Instrument, pronounced “lady”), is a build-it-yourself research trawl that collects microplastics at the surface of the ocean when towed behind a boat (“trawling”). LADI is a smaller, less expensive ($500), and easy to build open source alternative to the current scientific standard, the Manta Trawl, which is expensive ($3500), heavy, and requires specialized equipment and skills to create." -
Max Liboiron, CIVIC Labs The primary goal of my project is to construct a LADI trawl, and then build a YouTube channel outlining how I did it, any challenges that arose, and how other citizen scientists might build their own! I have always been very interested in involving my communities in my passions and I really love to explore different routes to make opportunities for accessible. The idea of building a microplastic trawl is certainly daunting, but my goal is to make it more approachable so that future citizen scientists might also be able to monitor micropollution in their respective regions. Microplastic pollution is a threat that is often glossed over, but it impacts everything from marine life to our grocery shelves. I hope to both raise awareness surrounding this issue as well as empower other teenagers to pursue their passions and learn more about threats to their environments. This summer I successfully completed the construction of my LADI Trawl (see my Bullet Journal for more information) as well as learned how to classify the different kinds of micropollution. Over the fall and winter months, I performed a series of trawls to become comfortable with my technique and filmed my progress. This spring, I worked to create a YouTube channel that includes information ranging from how my first trawl went to common household items that contribute to micropollution. While my original plans for this spring involved several more trawls as well as a trip to NYC to learn about micropollution in the digestive tracts of marine organisms, Covid-19 has kept me contained in Maryland, which forced me to pivot. I decided to adopt an approach centered on raising awareness for micropollution rather than one focused on analysis of samples that I could not longer collect. My project is now one of environmental activism, and so far I have done a beach and paddleboard clean-up, as well as made a video directed at more sustainable lifestyle habits that can help reduct our plastic footprints. I have also tried to transition toward a low-waste lifestyle by tracking my plastic use each week, and am encouraging my loved ones to do the same! |