OMB number: 4040-0019 expiration date: 02/28/2025 project abstract summary this project abstract summary form must be submitted or the application will be considered incomplete

Ensure the project abstract field succinctly describes the project in plain language that the public can understand and use without the full proposal. Use 4,000 characters or less. Do not include personally identifiable, sensitive or proprietary information. Refer to agency instructions for any additional project abstract field requirements. If the application is funded, your project abstract information (as submitted) will be made available to public websites and/or databases including usaspending.GOV. Funding opportunity number NOAA-OAR-SG-2024-23706 cfda(s) applicant name wisconsin sea grant descriptive title of applicant's project identifying the main causes of tiny plastic buildup in the great lakes using a new, easy-to-use testing and imaging system project abstract we'RE trying to understand tiny plastic particles, smaller than a speck of dust, that are found in the great lakes but are hard to study because we DON't have the right tools to see them well. Our main goal is to figure out how these tiny plastics build up in the lake's food chain by creating a new way to find and measure them easily. This new method will help US clean up, concentrate, and count these plastics in water and living organisms. We plan to use this method to see how widespread these plastics are in the great lakes and how they move up the food chain in different environmental conditions. We also want to start a program to involve local communities, especially indigenous people, in understanding this issue. By getting a better grasp on how these tiny plastics move through the great lakes and their food chains, we can come up with ways to minimize their effects on people and the environment.