Seneca in the lake Field Trip

Research Question: How will the D.O, Turbidity, temperature, and Depth of three separate locations on Seneca lake affect the plankton population of those three locations.

Independent Variable: Depths of the three locations.

Controlled Variable: The testing of the other variables will always be done on Seneca lake.

Other Variables: The Dissolved oxygen levels, Turbidity levels, Temperature, and Plankton population.

Abstract: There are many things that influence the population of Plankton in any given marine environment. “Ecological Regulation” a scientific article written about the limiting factors of plankton suggests temperature, sunlight intensity, and nutrient availability as the chief limiting factors for any given plankton population. The Conclusion was supported by “Phytoplankton diversity in response to abiotic factors along Orissa coast, Bay of Bengal” by  Swati S. Panda, Dhal N.K, Panda C.R who over the course of a few years collected data on plankton populations, and on the environments they lived in. This data supports “Ecological Regulations” conclusions about Limiting factors of Plankton populations, and has numerous pieces of field evidence that support this same information. Another important aspect to “Phytoplankton diversity in response to abiotic factors along Orissa coast, Bay of Bengal” was the data gained on the type of Plankton that were alive, and what they ate, by studying this they were able to conclude which nutrients were most abundant in the area, and which species of plankton were most resilient to change. The final limiting factor of Plankton is which season the area involved is currently in, although it is not the season that causes the change as much as it is the temperature. Throught data referenced in both the “Ecological Regulation”, and “As The Seasons Change, Will The Plankton” plankton populations will typically be highest in the summer months, begin to fall in the fall months, but will be higher than the populations seen in spring (this is data on a location that has 4 seasons instead of 2). Through this research the question of how temperature affects plankton is answered, however it isn’t as simple as saying plankton prefer high temperature. The information in the third article suggests that some plankton will respond negatively to the rising temperature of water (global warming wise), while a few may then thrive due to adaptability, and less competition. The Conclusion the final article made was while we can make short predictions about how temperature affects plankton in an individual area, we simply lack enough knowledge on plankton, and global warming implications to make appropriate predictions.  

http://marinebio.org/oceans/ecological-regulation/

http://www.ipublishing.co.in/ijesarticles/twelve/articles/voltwo/EIJES3170.pdf

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/As_The_Seasons_Change_Will_The_Plankton_999.html

Hypothesis: I hypothesise that the areas with high Plankton populations will be the areas of the lake that are the warmest, have the highest Dissolved Oxygen, the clearest waters, and the areas of water that are closest to the surface. I believe this because the evidence i gathered in the abstract portion of this assignment stated that the limiting factors of Plankton population were Intensity of Sunlight, Temperature, and Nutrients. So it is reasonable to conclude that the area that receives the most intense sunlight (lowest Depth), has the highest temperature will have the higher levels of plankton. Finally the Dissolved oxygen affects the population because as all these organism use oxygen in their respiration process, so the more they have the more easier it will be for them to survive and reproduce.

Method: In all three seperate depth locations i will mimic the process by which i collect temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, and turbidity (shown in the procedure stage shown below. By mimicking all these processes i will help to eliminate human error, and collect more reliable results. Along this same principle of thought i will collect the  Plankton sample in  the same manner at all three locations to once again help limit human error.

Procedure:   

D.O Collection Steps

1. When you get to the lab bench, gather the dissolved oxygen kit.
2. To the LaMotte sample bottle, add 8 drops of the manganese(II) sulfate solution (bottle 4167) followed by 8 drops of the alkaline potassium iodide azide solution (bottle 7166).Some water may drip off the sides.
3. Carefully cap the bottle, mix by gently inverting (, then allow the orange-brown precipitate that has formed to settle below the shoulder of the bottle (about 3-4 minutes).
4. Using the 1 gram spoon provided in the kit (0697), add one level spoonful of sulfamic acid (bottle 6286) to the solution in your LaMotte sample bottle. Cap the bottle and mix until both the reagent (white crystals) and precipitate (brown crystals) have completely dissolved and you obtain a clear brown-yellow solution.
5. Pour this clear brown-yellow solution from the LaMotte bottle into the titration tube and fill it up to the 20 ml line.
6. Use the plastic eye-dropper provided in the kit, add 8 drops of the starch solution to the titration tube. At this point, the solution should change color to a bluish-green.
7. Fill the Direct Reading Titrator (0337) up to the 0 mark [looks like a syringe, marked 0-10 ppm] with the sodium thiosulfate solution (bottle 4169).
8. Insert the titrator you just filled through the small hole in the cap of the titration tube and titrate the solution slowly. Swirl the titration tube until the blue color of the solution disappears permanently with one drop of titrant (i.e., you are looking for a color progression from green-blue to blue to light blue to colorless). You may have to fill the titrator more than once. Be sure to record how much titrant you used before refilling. The direct reading titrator is calibrated in units of parts per million (ppm) dissolved oxygen, therefore, be sure to record all of these units.

Position and Depth

1. When Ship has made complete stop mark the exact position of the ship, by either using the ship's radar or by using the G.P.S.
2. When Ship has made complete stop mark the exact depth of the ship using the depth finder on board the ship.  

Temperature

1. Use the Ship's onboard "CTD" to gather temperature measurements.

Turbidity

1. Take Cup that has Secchi Disk on it and slowly lower it into the lake until it disappears. Record the height at which it disappeared.
2. Pull the Secchi Disk back up until it can be seen again record that.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 3 times, and collect average overall.

Plankton Collection

1. Twist the end of the rope around one hand 2-3 times and grasp with a fist. Don't let go! This grip is to ensure the net isn't tossed overboard when it is cast.

2. Make sure the clasp at the bottom of the net is closed! If it isn't, the sample will not be captured and the net will need to be recast.

3. Lower the net over the side of the boat until it floats freely in the water. Walk slowly

from the stern to the bow of the boat and then back again, gently dragging the

net behind you. Try to walk at a steady pace so that the net stays at a fairly

constant depth and does not scrape the side of the boat. Since water clarity is an

indication of the presence of phytoplankton, use your secchi disk reading as an

indicator of productivity. If the secchi disk reading is less than 7 meters, traverse the

length of the boat twice. If it is greater than 7 meters, make 3-4 trips to make sure

you collect enough plankton in your net.

4. Back at the stern of the boat, gather the line up until the net is vertical, hanging freely, and level with the railing. Using the provided wash bottle (filled with tap or lake surface water, not distilled water), wash down any plankton clinging to the sides of the net into the small grey cup attached to the lower end of the net.

5. Raise the net slightly, keeping it vertical. Grasp the grey sample cup and swing it on board, making sure not to spill the sample
6. .Hold the provided plastic beaker under the sample cup and attached rubber tubing and release the tubing clamp, allowing the sample to flow into the beaker. If it appears that some sample has clung to the inside of the grey sample cup, carefully use a small amount of water from the wash bottle to rinse it into the beaker. You don't want to dilute the sample.

7. The beaker can now be taken to the lab for analysis. Remember to rinse it out

when the plankton sample is no longer needed (using either tap or distilled water)

and replace it in the net box.

Final Question: What is the average overall productivity of Lake Seneca, and has this productivity on average trended up, down, or remained constant.  

Ways in Which I contribute to the Carbon Cycle

The ways in which I specifically effect the carbon cycle 

1. Through Breathing which contibutes to carbon dioxide in the atomsphere
2. Through using electricity that is probably produced by burning fossil fuels
3. Through drving in my moms car which contributes carbon dioxide to the atomsphere
4. Through consumption of plants whom produce oxygen, by using Carbon (which lowers carbon levels)
5. Though cutting down trees for firewood which not only stops the tree form using carbon for photosentisis, but also can lead to carbon escaping from underground where it gets collected.

Bandicoot Enviromental, and Biome characteristics

Bandicoot Enviromental, and Biome characteristics 

The biome most closely associated with my species is not properly defined by any particular website, most list them in a wide range of biomes around the Australia-New Guinea region, Considering this region is one full of environmental diversity I chose to focus on woodlands to help focus this post. The woodlands of Australia are very different to the Woodlands of the U.S, featuring trees spaced around 10-15 meters apart, and teeming with grass and shrubbery. The Seasons of these woodlands is also not like the ones seen in the U.S featuring a rain, and dry season instead of 4 separate season. The woodlands region can get anywhere between 250-800mm of rainfall a year as well (most occurring during the rainy season). 3 Species of trees that live in this region of Australia are Callitris, Melaleuca, and Acacia which have deep roots to help better collect/store water, and large canopy that help the tree in photsensiesi. The trees grow naturally apart from one another which helps limit the competition between them, this helps the populations as a whole survive more consistently (especially in the drier regions). Three animal species located in the Australian woodlands are Wombats, Possums, and Gould's long-Eared bat. These Species have a wide range of differences however they share several characteristics that benefit their survival such as hunting at night (to avoid predators), a ranging diet (to help survive during the harsher seasons), and eyes that help them see at night. One huge environmental problem facing these regions is rapid deforestation (for firewood purposes) that has been slowly (though more noticeably in the recent years) happening since Australia's colonization by The British. One possible solution to this problem is finding alternative means if home heating such as electrical based (which would come with its own problems but it is a strat) heaters that could be powered by some form of clean energy power plants. The Bandicoot is primarily a insect and fruit eating nocturnal animal that in recent years have grown to populate near suburban areas because of the presence of grass eating beetles. Because the Bandicoots eat these pests they are commonly tolerated or even sought after amongst Australians. However this close proximity to humans does endanger them as well because a common predator to the bandicoot these days are dogs and cats. Aside from cats and dogs bandicoots are commonly not hunted except in rare situations where a dingo or owl catches them off guard. BAndicoots will eat fruits, insects and sometimes mice which makes them both primary, and secondary consumers and are eaten by dingos and owls which are tertiary consumers. The Species that bandicoots fight with for food is commonly the wombat which share the same fruit eating characteristics (though not all the same diet characteristics), these two species fill the niche of primary consumes (consumers of plants), and form the bridge between the producers and secondary consumers. However to say the bandicoot is threatened by the wombat population is an overstatement as not many species occupy the exact niche of the bandicoot (considering their huge diet versatility), and the greatest threat to the bandicoot is actually humans. THrough the act of cutting down woodlands, building homes, and roads half of the bandicoot populations have gone extinct (since initial colonization by The British).

https://www.environment.gov.au/node/20503

https://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/wildlife/livingwith/bandicoots.html

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/animals/Bandicoots.htm

http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/park-management/environment/ecosystems/dry-forests-and-woodlands

http://austhrutime.com/woodlands_australia.htm

Investigation Of Furnace Brook Water Diversity/Health

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eISM7EgZXwBrfOFXeXxxDLjVqpiBtMdojX4_1iTgThI/edit?usp=sharing

Mercury in the Environment

Mercury In The Environment

Biomaginification is when a particular pollutant (Mercury in this instance) increases rapidly as it reaches organism on higher levels of a trophic chart. This process works out this way because organisms on lower tiers consume the pollutant (unknowingly), after time these organisms are consumed by other organisms, but because the second organism has to consume more of the first organism species to survive it will end up with greater levels of the poison than the lower tiers. This process continues up all the way until reaching the predators who are no longer hunted by other creatures. (Also another reason biomaginification works out this way is that animals on the higher end of trophic charts tend to live longer than those on lower tiers, allowing more time to consume pollutants).

Mercury has many uses to Humanity even though it is a very potent poison when consumed. It has been used in  Lights, Batteries, thermometers, in felt production, mining purposes, and is used to form alloys with other heavy elements. One particularly evident way in which Mercury is introduced into the environment is though gold ore mining processes (which mercury plays a particularly important role in. Mercury is used with gold mining to help extract, and mire efficiently refine gold, though through this process especially in the past contamination was always a problem, and in many cases (in the past) The Mercury was just dumped into lakes after its use had been served. 

Mercury travels differently in terrestrial and aquatic food webs. The dangers of the Mercury are much higher in aquatic based life however. It is unknown exactly how Mercury comes to enter into the ecosystems diet however one theory suggest bacteria that consumed the mercury and are than eaten by gradually ascending trophic level fish until eventually reaching humans. One separate theory also suggest that the Mercury is absorbed into a fish body purely by living in contaminated waters. Fish staring with small micorinverbrates like Scubs absorb some, than are consumed by large micorinverbate, than by tout, than by humans, and birds (See Diagram 1). Which ever way is true the end result is the same the organisms on the higher end are in greater danger to the adverse effects (especially Humans).

Diagram 1

 There have been numerous different clean up efforts that attempt to clean up Mercury from the bottom of lakes (like the Efforts in lake Onondaga) however these efforts are slow going at best. The main problem that emerges from trying to clean up Mercury form lakes is that It degrades very slowly (if not at all), which means removing the contamination, means removing the contaminated soil. This process of removing the soil is incredibly expensive as it involves dredging parts of the water or though costly drilling endeavors, Though almost every endeavor that attempts to clean up a Mercury ridden lake than plan usually starts at cleaning the whole thing, but as the project drags on and more money is spent people turn towards containment instead. Many suggest plans include building natural barriers around the lake to prevent it form effecting areas/ waters beyond the lake or building an artificial lake bed that would cover the Mercury instead of getting rid of it.



"The Onondaga Lake "Cleanup" Plan." Onondaga Nation. N.p., 22 Feb. 2014. Web. 01 Oct. 2015.
           http://www.onondaganation.org/land-rights/the-onondaga-lake-cleanup-plan/

"Gold Processing: Mercury Usage in Gold Mining – MiningFacts.org." Gold Processing: Mercury Usage in Gold Mining – MiningFacts.org. N.p., 2012. Web. 01 Oct. 2015.
           http://www.miningfacts.org/environment/does-mining-use-mercury/

"U.S. Geological Survey." Mercury Contamination of Aquatic Ecosystems. USGS, 01 Apr. 1997. Web. 02 Oct. 2015.
          http://water.usgs.gov/wid/FS_216-95/FS_216-95.html

"Mercury." - Element Information, Properties and Uses. Royal Society of Chemistry, 2012. Web. 02 Oct. 2015.
         http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/80/mercury

"Mercury in the Environment." Mercury in the Environment. N.p., Oct. 2000. Web. 02 Oct. 2015.
         http://www.usgs.gov/themes/factsheet/146-00/