amandajoy93
Registered: April 2012
Posts: 1
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Growing up on the east coast, I have been going to the beach ever since I was little. I found the ocean to be an utterly mysterious entity and I yearned to explore it and to learn everything there is to know about it. My parents used to take me to the Boston Aquarium and the Seacoast Science Center instead of Chuck E. Cheese. Even Santa would leave informational books about whale and dolphins instead of candy in my stocking on Christmas. Once I got into high school and it was finally time to choose my electives, I knew exactly what I what I wanted to learn about. I chose classes that would teach me anything I wanted to know about the ocean. On top of taking the required Physical Science, Chemistry, Biology, and Physics courses, I took Oceanography, Marine Biology, and Environmental Science. While in these classes, I took vigorous and detailed notes and watched every film and documentary intently. But, when I looked around the class room, half the class was asleep, some students stared blankly at the board, some gazed into their cell phones underneath the desk, and others whispered about me, the nerd in the front row furiously writing down notes. It came as a disappointment to most of the students that marine science isn’t all about dolphins jumping out of the water, sharks attacking surfers, and sea turtles laying eggs.
One lesson in particular caused an outcry of groans and complaints in the class, no one wanted to learn about the primary producers on the marine food web. No one cared to learn about marine plankton. One part of me wanted to stand in front of the class and deliver a moving and heart wrenching speech about the importance of plankton. Yet, the other side of me understood why everyone hated to learn about plankton, they’re small, boring, and have no apparent purpose. I became determined to come up with an effective way that would teach people that even the tiniest of microorganisms in the ocean is in fact significant. What got me going on my project was something my teacher taught about plankton. He simply said that marine plankton are tiny microorganisms and that their size makes them extremely sensitive to the environment.
When starting the project, my initial question was, ‘how are marine plankton effected by the environment?’I hypothesized that a comparatively acidic environment will cause adverse effects on the plankton. After making my initial hypothesis I began to research marine plankton more in depth. I found that an environmental factor that affects the plankton is pH. Plankton normally live in a seawater environment which is about a pH 8. When ocean becomes acidic, a phenomenon called ocean acidification; varying species of plankton are affected. Ocean acidification occurs when large amounts of carbon dioxide make contact with the ocean surface, resulting in carbonic acid. After reading this, I decided create an experiment that would simulate ocean acidification and its effects on marine plankton.
Plankton specimens were collected at Barry’s Bay in Rye Harbor during high tide using 100 micron plankton net and held in a plastic container. The sample was equally distributed into 50 mL beakers. Two of these beakers were designated as the control beakers, each containing the unaltered sea water and plankton collected from the harbor. The control sample was then distributed into six test tubes. Using a pipette, droplets from each of the six test tubes were put onto their own slides. In three of the slides, the amount of living and dead zooplankton was counted and amounts were recorded. In the remaining three slides, the amount of living and dead phytoplankton was counted and amounts were recorded. Next, by adding .5 mL of vinegar, pH of seawater in two other 50 mL beakers, pH was reduced to 7.0. Sample distribution, slide preparation and counting procedures were repeated. The two beakers that remained were made more acidic by adding 0.016 mL of vinegar to the 50mL of seawater and plankton, reducing the pH to 7.5. Sample distribution, slide preparation and counting procedures were repeated. All specimens were destroyed at the end of the experiment using bleach and poured down the drain.
After the research and lab processes, I was able to make a conclusion that I could share with other. There are two types of plankton, phytoplankton and zooplankton. Zooplankton, animal-like plankton, are affected by the corrosive waters created during ocean acidification. Each zooplankton is equipped with an outer shell that is ultra-thin and very sensitive. Acidic waters will dissolve the molecules that make up the protective shell, leaving the organism vulnerable or possibly dead. Zooplankton, usually extremely motile, are deemed dead when there is no longer any movement. Phytoplankton, plant-like plankton, are also affected by a lowering of pH in the ocean. When subjected to an acidic environment, the chloroplasts found in phytoplankton will turn color from green/yellow/brown, to a colorless structure. The few motile phytoplankton species that are motile are deemed dead when there is no longer movement. Phytoplankton individuals may dissolve altogether. In the control environment, which is a pH 8, thirty six out of thirty organisms observed were alive and motile. Only two organisms were still and dead. All phytoplankton in the control environment had green chloroplast and select species were motile. Samples of plankton were subjected to a comparatively acidic environment, which is a pH of 7.5, for ten minutes. Out of the fourteen specimens found in this environment, only one zooplankton was alive and thirteen were dead. In this environment, seven phytoplankton were alive and twelve had clear chloroplasts and none were motile. Also, less phytoplankton were found in this environment than in the control environment. This suggests that some phytoplankton may have dissolved completely. Finally, marine plankton samples were subjected to an even more comparatively corrosive environment, which is a pH of 7.0. In these samples, all fifteen zooplankton found were dead. Only a single microorganism was found alive in the phytoplankton sample subjected to corrosive water and thirteen were dead. In conclusion, when subjected to a comparatively acidic environment, marine plankton will die.
After completing my experiment, I shared it at the New Hampshire Science and Engineering Exposition. I decided to take my findings to the expo to educate about ocean acidification and plankton. Ocean acidification is often referred to as the “other carbon problem.” It is caused by excessive amounts of carbon hovering over the ocean’s surface. These large amounts of carbon are emitted when coal, oil, and gas is burned and released into the atmosphere. And, since the atmosphere touches about 70% of earth’s sea surface, the carbon lingers over the ocean. The carbon dioxide transforms the chemistry of the ocean and creates carbonic acid. Ocean acidity has risen 30% since the Industrial revolution and is expected to double by the end of the century. Eventually this severe carbon problem caused by mankind will come back to haunt us.
In my experiment, I concluded that when subjected to a comparatively acidic environment, marine plankton will die. Plankton are the primary producers on the marine food web. Therefore, predators throughout the food web will be affected by the carbonic acid in the sea. Predators, including humans, will either starve to death or waste energy foraging for another food source. Knowing this, I would like to further investigate how to solve this problem. I assume that in order to solve ocean acidification, humans must use more sustainable power sources, such as solar, wind, and hydraulic power.
This was the very first research project I’ve conducted on my own. The project has inspired me to have a career in field research. I plan to major in marine science in college and to join in any undergraduate research projects offered there. It was gratifying to pursue a subject I felt strongly about and be able to share my findings with the community.
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