DIY June Grass Soda Bottle Sampler

Purpose: We are developing a quantitative way to measure June Grass with the help of citizen scientists. This soda bottle sampler will give an approximation of June Grass concentration in a known volume of water.

Making a June Grass soda bottle sampler could be a fun science project for elementary and middle school students, younger scouts, or just a fun family citizen science project.

The June Grass Working Group appreciates your enthusiasm for this project!
Materials:

1 empty clear 2 liter soda bottle with straight sides (not curvy like some Sprite and Coke bottles)

sprite1 pair of sharp scissors

1 marker

1 ruler

How to Make a June Grass Soda Bottle Sampler:

  1. Remove all the label from the empty soda bottle
  2. Measure 8 inches from your work surface up the side of the soda bottle
  3. Use the marker to mark 8 inches on the side of the soda bottle
  4. At the mark, carefully cut the top of the soda bottle off, making as level a cut around the circumference of the bottle as possible, make sure there aren’t any sharp edges
  5. Congrats! Your soda bottle sampler is now ready to use!

How to Use Your June Grass Soda Bottle Sampler:

  1. Pack your soda bottle sampler in your beach bag
  2. Go to the beach
  3. Is there June grass(click here to learn the difference between June grass and seaweed)? If yes stand in knee-deep water with your sampler (only if the water is safe to enter and with proper adult supervision)
  4. Hold the sampler by the bottom
  5. Submerge it in the water, letting any trapped air escape
  6. Bring the sampler down to the sand, but don’t scoop up any sand
  7. Move the sampler straight up through the water column to the surface to take a “snapshot” of the June grass, only do this once
  8. Leave the water
  9. Hold your sampler, now full of water and June grass, at arms length and take a “reverse selfie” of it with a mobile phone
  10. Email the June grass “reverse selfie” to junegrasswg AT G mail DOT com with the date, time, location and any observations you would like to include. Please let us know how you would like to have your image attributed (if at all).
  11. That’s it! Thanks for helping us with June grass research! We will compile the photos and share them as our project progresses. If you are at the beach all day and notice changes in how the June grass looks, or see that it is different on different parts of the beach (this is really common) you can repeat your soda bottle sample as many times as you like. This would be really helpful information for our project.
Contributors to this project agree that the June Grass Working Group can freely use submitted data and photographs. Contributors may opt to have photo attribution. Contributors agree to abide by all applicable beach rules and regulations. Contributors agree that their participation in this project is entirely voluntary and agree that the June Grass Working Group, and all associated entities, are not responsible for any liability, loss, damage, or personal injury associated with participating in this project.