Courtesy Photo This photo provided by Thunder Bay Junior High School teacher Bob Thomson shows Alpena Public Schools students sampling for plastic fibers at the Four Mile Dam in Alpena.

ALPENA — The Thunder Bay River Watershed Project gives students hands-on experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

Through the project, Alpena Public Schools students help monitor the water quality of the Thunder Bay River. They have collected data on microplastics and fibers at Rotary Island, the Four Mile Dam, and other places.

Bob Thomson, teacher at Thunder Bay Junior High School, said the project has grown so much recently that about 10 teachers go out with students and collect data. The data collected is then used for teachers and students to launch their own research projects in the schools.

This year, students and teachers are collecting sand from different areas. Thomson said students are processing the sand right now and finding out how many microplastics are in it.

They are using testing protocol and information based off of what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has done as the students sample one kilogram of sand at a time.

“We’re collecting that data right now,” Thomson said. “Hopefully, we start to build another level of research and building a dataset that we can compare.”

Thomson said the data collected will eventually be used in an advocacy program to help limit the amount of plastic entering the Thunder Bay River watershed.

“That’s the hope of where the data goes,” Thomson said. “Not only is it good for our projects in the classroom, but it’s good for the community as a whole.”

Julie Goldberg can be reached at 989-358-5688 or jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jkgoldberg12.