Chris Browne, UR - Smyrna Bacteria

E. coli

     Bacteria can be beneficial or harmful, and sometimes the amounts of bacteria present can be a normal setting for any marine coastline environment. Dr. Woodall has instructed me that the primary purposes of my IRP will include the datum results of bacteria in the Canal Street inlet, as well as researching the impact that bacteria has had on similar environments (Muirhead, 2006). Local, International, rural, and urban areas have had many studies done, as the where our waste ends up, is where our society would be wise to manage effectively.

Canal Street Inlet

     Bacteria can have detrimental consequences to our human health, as we live and work in the coastlines. Most coastlines are fished and harvested regularly (Cooke, 1976). The health of the organisms in these environments are important in many ways. Specifically the shellfish and benthic organisms that clean our waterways are in jeopardy. As stewards of our environment, keeping a keen eye on our micro biotic ecosystems (Drexler, 2014) will prove significant as they set the stage in the macro environment.

     Ranges of attempts have been made to address bacteria in our environment. Taking studies from the effects of disinfection of our own waste water could be considered (Blatchley, 2007). E. coli and other food borne bacteria is a common problem for urban environments (Ibekwe, 2011). Too much anaerobic bacteria can cause massive area deaths of beneficial plants and animals. Those areas, in turn can then become toxic other areas as tides move in and out. My IRP will focus on all these areas, and shed some light onto downtown New Smyrna.  

E. coli petri dish test

~CMB

Blatchley, E. (2007). Effects of Wastewater Disinfection on Waterborne Bacteria and Viruses. Retrieved from Water Environment Research Vol. 79, No. 1, January 2007: Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org.db06.linccweb.org/stable/23805205

Cooke, M. (1976). Antibiotic Resistance Among Coliform and Fecal Coliform Bacteria Isolated from Sewage, Seawater, and Marine Shellfish. Retrieved from Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1976 Jun; 9(6): 879–884.: PMCID: PMC429643

Drexler, J. (2014). Marsh soils as potential sinks for Bacteroides fecal indicator bacteria, Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, Georgetown, SC, USA. Retrieved from Water, Air, & Soil Pollution. 225.2 (Feb. 2014):: DOI: http://dx.doi.org.db06.linccweb.org/10.1007/s11270-013-1861-1

Ibekwe, M. (2011). Microbiological Evaluation of Water Quality from Urban Watersheds for Domestic Water Supply Improvement. Retrieved from Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011 Dec; 8(12): 4460–4476.: doi: 10.3390/ijerph8124460

Muirhead, R. (2006). Interaction of Escherichia coli and Soil Particles in Runoff. Retrieved from Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006 May; 72(5): 3406–3411.: doi: 10.1128/AEM.72.5.3406-3411.2006

Samantha, CUR- NO SWIMMING

A green harmful algae bloom in Florida's IRL.             

               Imagine walking from your car to the beach on a hot sunny day in Southeast Florida.  The smile on your face begins to fade when you see an unusually green water and a sign that reads, "No swimming allowed; harmful algae bloom present." 

Map of the Indian River Lagoon showing the
five main segments, 20 sample sites and
four reference sites.

The IRL watershed is massive and populated by nearly 1.7 million people.  Rainfall events cause episodic discharges of groundwater contaminated with septic tank effluent into nearshore waters, enhancing eutrophication.   Nutrient Pollution is a primary driver of eutrophication and harmful algae blooms in estuaries and coastal waters worldwide. In 2011-2012, sites evenly distributed throughout the 251-km long Indian River Lagoon (IRL) were assessed during three sampling events of dissolved for dissolved nutrients(DIN,SRP,TDN,TDP) and chlorophyll a.  Sea water samples were collected at 20 fixed sites in the IRL.  Each site sampled three different times within a two year period.  Nitrogen was found in high concentration through the IRL especially in northern parts(Volusia County's IRL). Associated with high Nitrogen concentrations a were harmful algae blooms.  As discussed in Nutrients and the Indian River Lagoon, more action needs to be taken in monitoring a specific point source, discharging into the IRL.  This being said  leads to my Independent Research Project (IRP), Monitoring water quality within the Canal Street Canal.  For information on what is already known about this canal area as well as the water quality within read Measuring Water Quality Parameters.   My site was chosen beginning with the founding of hypoxic water conditions monitored in this canal by colleagues, Dr. Woodall as well as myself (noting this area is associated with a storm drain system).   The discharge basin (5x8 box culvert) runs South starting at the northern part of Canal street collecting approximately 170.6 acres of runoff. In order to set up experiments to measure the water quality within the canal there are commonly used tools and methods such as; YSI85(measuring dissolved Oxygen, Conductivity and Salinity), Van Dorn(to take surface and depth samples within the Canal), HACH DR/980 colorimeter(for nutrients and copper concentrations).

Measuring chlorophyll in the lab using 90% Acetone,47mm filters and of course the

Fisher Scientific Filtration Device.

Citations:

(1) (K Fegley, City Engineer of New Smyrna Beach, September 2015)

(2) Anderson, Sean. Sewage Pollution running amuck in Florida's Indian River Lagoon. Retrieved from http://oceanbites.org/sewage-pollution-running-amuck-in-floridas-indian-river-lagoon/

Renee; UR: Trichomes, ants and public service announcements, OH MY!

I would like to start off with some kudos to Kristen our favorite librarian for her Botany Research Guide! It was full of all sorts of articles about pitcher plants including one which detailed some of the unique features of the Okefenokee subspecies of S. minor (Sarracenia minor). One particular detail concerning trichomes (Trichomes are hair-like growths that form on the epidermis or outer "skin" of plants) caught my eye. It struck me as very odd that the pitchers of S. minor okefenokeensis would be taller than my S. minors but then exhibit fewer trichomes when it is generally hypothesized that these trichomes help the plants prey of mostly crawling insects reach the opening of the pitchers. (Stephens, J. D)

This fancy fellow is Dorsera tokaiensis,
a hybrid created in Japan and a favorite for terrariums!

Trichomes are important for other plants including my second favorite category of carnivorous plant the sundew. These often little guys have impressive trichomes that secrete a sticky fluid which helps them catch, hold and digest prey. The fluid contains digestive enzymes but they aren't potent enough to hurt the curious passerby if you should be so inclined as to poke one. Sundews come in many shapes, sizes and colors as you can see to the left and below. (Per Dr. Ray Emmett's Native Plants class)

As the weather warms up sundews like this Drosera capillaris
will be popping up to keep my pitcher plants company at Longleaf
Pine Preserve!

I also found a fascinating study concerning the protective advantages of the ants that S. minor specializes in. It was observed that the presence of ants deterred female Exyra  semicrocea, better known as the pitcher plant mining moth, from laying her eggs on the pitchers effectually saving the plants from being devoured by the moth's caterpillars; however, other sites dominated by the fiercer fire ants we as Floridians should be familiar with would likely ...

This scary dude is a grown by Sunbelle Exotics
in south Florida. Guess who my newest pitcher
will be once I get some extra cash?

...experience benefits against larger herbivorous because of these ant's naturally higher levels of aggression. This scenario was not obsurved during the study however and remains an intuitive hypothesis. (Wheeler, E.)

To the left is another species of pitcher mentioned in the previously mentioned study as an example of pitcher plants that without question use ants as a defense mechanism. It is a Nepenthes bicalcerata which is endemic (a fancy word for a plant or animal that is native to or restricted to a certain area or country) to Borneo but is sold commercially. In the wild this plant actually houses the ants in the hollow tendrils that the pitchers hang from and the ants in turn defend the pitcher from weevils!

This pitcher was so wonderfully unique I couldn't help but include it! Nepenthes bicalcerata's common name is the fanged pitcher plant. (I wonder why, any guesses?) It's from the same family as I suspect my plant babies are!!(remember them from my previous posts?)


Citations:
Stephens, J. D., Godwin, R. L., & Folkerts, D. R. (2015). Distinctions in Pitcher Morphology and Prey Capture of the Okefenokee Variety within the Carnivorous Plant Species Sarracenia minor. Southeastern Naturalist, 14(2), 254-266.

Wheeler, E., Rossi, A. M., Moon, J., Moon, D., Mckelvey, L., Elias, S., Depaz, J. (2010). Ants provide nutritional and defensive benefits to the carnivorous plant Sarracenia minor. Ocelogia, 164(1), 185-192  

A Brief Public Service Anouncement:
For anyone in Volusia county or who plans to move to Volusia county in the future there is a new Wetland Review Ordinance being proposed by the county. 
From what I understood of the public presentation slide show given on February 8th that is posted at the Volusia County Wetlands Ordinance Discussion webpage on the county website the only major change to what is currently held as a standard by the St. Johns Water Management District is that areas marked as Priority Review Wetlands would require a 50ft buffer rather than a 25ft buffer between the wetland and any development. 
I encourage everyone to check out the webpage and bring any questions or concerns to the county's attention now. Those in Ormond may want to talk to the city as I was told they have already been rather vocal in their concerns about how businesses and homes along the Halifax River will be effected but the proposed regulations.

Emily UR - Flooding in the Florida Flatlands

Tuscawilla Parks soft-shelled turtle.
She lives in the main retention pond.

Living, working and going to school in Florida, we all know two things that are very characteristic of our beloved sunshine state. The first being that this state is disturbingly flat and the second being that it rains a lot. Humans are intelligent and adaptive creatures though, so over the years we've been able to control flooding through the implementation of storm drains and Stormwater Management Ponds (SMP), also referred to as retention ponds, which are constructed basins designed to hold stormwater and its associated runoff from higher elevations. Stormwater runoff can be defined as the "water flowing over the land during and immediately following a rainstorm.¹

A great blue heron feasting on a water snake
in the Halifax retention pond. (This took place
in my backyard, cool to wake up to see)

SMPs serve two main purposes: to limit flooding and to catch (urban) runoff pollutants. During a rain event, stormwater will be essentially guided into an SMP, picking up everything from fertilizers and sediment to decaying animal feces along the way, which can dramatically affect the overall quality of these ponds. In fact, "statewide, stormwater (as compared to regulated discharges such as sewage and industrial treatment facilities) is the source of (1) 80 to 95 percent of heavy metals; (2) 99 percent of all sediment; (3) 90 percent of oxygen demanding substances (i.e., decaying plant or animal material); and (4) 50 percent of the nutrients".² High enough concentrations of nutrients from fertilizers, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, with the appropriate meteorological conditions can cause massive algal blooms in these ponds, effecting the various creatures that reply on these ponds for food and as a habitat. In fact, the St. John's River Water Management District (SJRWMD) suggests that SMPs have a higher potential for a bloom due to their concentration of stormwater runoff in combination with "lots of sunlight, warm temperatures and shallow, slow-flowing water."³
For my research, I have selected two particular retention ponds to study and compare. The first pond is located in the heart of the Halifax Plantation in Ormond Beach, a very urban setting, where it is exposed to a great deal of fertilizers from surrounding golf courses and newly constructed homes. The second pond is located in Tuscawilla Park in Daytona Beach, a more natural setting, where it is also exposed to fertilizers as well as pesticides.
So finally, my scientific question is, "After a rain event, which retention pond is more heavily polluted by nutrients?". My follow-up question, if you could call it that, is, "Are the sources of the pollution found, if any, from urban runoff or atmospheric composition at the time of a rain event?". Other factors to consider would be the amount of total suspended solids (TSS), pH, salinity and dissolved oxygen content of the water.

And for the sake of Valentine's day being around the corner,
this birdy was making the moves in front of Tuscawilla's other
retention pond.

Citations:
(1) Wetherell, V. B., & Chiles, L. (n.d.). Stormwater: A Guide for Floridans. Retrieved from www.dep.state.fl.us/water/nonpoint/docs/.../Stormwater_Guide.pdf
(2) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2016) Facts about Stormwater Management Programs in the State of Florida. Retrieved from http://nepis.epa.gov/
(3) St. John's River Water Management District (SJRWMD) (2014, June 03). Understanding Algal Blooms. Retrieved from http://floridaswater.com/algae/

Dave, UR - 21st Century Collaboration

So, I just wrapped a six hour video conference with Matt, the Project Engineer for Phase One. Project Engineer? Phase One? What is this guy talking about?

Whiteboard madness: Hashing out basic design ideas with Matt

Last week, I spoke about the research challenges facing those of us in the scientific community that are trying to communicate with dolphins.

In order to collect more specific visual and auditory data on marine organisms, without disturbing their social interaction, we need to develop new equipment.  Some would call this a setback, but this team is excited.  The three of us are all young, professional researchers, and the opportunity to do a project that is entirely unique research is just...downright exciting.

So let's talk theory. As of right now, there are hydrophone arrays with 3 fixed hydrophones. They have large dish collectors behind the array to help gather sound. There are separate underwater video cameras with up to two hydrophones integrated. These tools, while great compared to what was available ten to twenty years ago, are not good enough to make significant progress in this research. What we are proposing as an end state, and subsequently developing in multiple phases, is a tri-hydrophone array with integrated video, and software-driven controls -- a device that will allow researchers to collect real-time video and audio on wild specimens at distance -- right down to the individual organism. With this, we will be able to capture the individual actions and noises of a specific dolphin, without collecting the the surrounding dolphins. This data, biased against general collection footage, will give researchers the ability to construct "conversations" that will give us more insight to the context of their interactions. That's the theory.

In order to make this happen while still accomplishing all our assigned schoolwork, we have broken development into multiple phases. This spring, our task is to research our optimal array design.  Instead of using one large collector dish behind the array as we have seen done with other arrays, Matt will be 3-D printing individual collector dishes for each hydrophone.  We opted for this change, so that we can use the variance in input strength between each hydrophone to triangulate a dolphin's position in the water. In the end product, this will allow the computer to "soft-lock" on every organism at a given distance, and then the researcher will use an external D-Pad on the outside of the device to select the organism they want to focus on. The hydrophones will then make slight angle adjustments via servo to stay zeroed on the organism. This is easier said than done, so this semester we are working on the array by itself.

The array radius for the first test collection will start at 18", with points of adjustment along the length of each strut, so that we can shorten or lengthen the struts to change the overall array diameter. We will be using 4 different collector cone dimensions for the first data collection: 0-degree as the control, 15-degree, 25-degree, and then a 90-degree cylinder as an experimental unidirectional concept. Across the pool, will be a "target board" with an underwater speaker, emitting a novel tone. There will 5 speaker positions on the board so that we can move the speaker from zero (center), through four quadrants, so that we can measure variance between hydrophones. Once we have the first collection as baseline data, we will do a second collection with interference noise. We are going to place a second underwater speaker at a 90-degree offset to the target line, and play assorted disturbance noise (boat motors, etc.) so that we can evaluate the collector dishes for their ability to cancel out irrelevant sound.  With the potential for massive equipment failures aside, we should be able to finish the semester with a firm array design, so that we can move into Phase II in the fall semester.

Matt and Dave at Matt's F.I.T. Commencement, Spring 2015

The team is meeting this weekend to hammer out exact equipment and material requirements, so that we can submit our purchase proposal this week. Additionally, we are going to sort out fine dimensions and then CAD the components, so that Matt can start 3-D printing the parts.  We will also discuss putting together a YouTube video, so that we can explain the project in more depth.  Fortunately, we have a full-sized whiteboard at our disposal. Next week, we will be sharing design specifics and CAD drawings, and failures aside, we should be in the water in a few weeks. Stick around, true believers!

PS: This team still needs a cool name, and we are open to crowd suggestions!

Samantha, CUR- Measuring Water Quality Parameters

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is a diverse, shallow-water estuary stretching across 40% of Florida's East Coast. The total estimated annual economic value of the lagoon is 3.7 billion, supporting 15,000 full and part time jobs and providing recreational opportunities for 11 million people per year. Throughout recorded history, there have been fish kills, algal blooms and changes in water quality.  The lagoon has had a natural ability to absorb a certain amount of pollutants. However, when overloaded, the lagoon suffers.  My independent research project focuses on a specific storm drain canal, (Canal Street Canal) which discharges into the IRL.   In a recent post, Garbage of Canal Street I discuss the significance of monitoring the water quality at this specific canal.

Outline of Canal street Canal Watershed (170.6 acres) discharging at the East
end into the IRL

My Scientific Question is, In the Canal Street Canal, are there any specific water quality parameters that exceed Florida Department of Environmental Regulations (FDEP)?   When talking about water quality parameters I am focusing on nutrients specifically, such as; Nitrogen (TIN) and Phosphate (TP), which although occur naturally, anthropogenic forms create an overabundance in nutrients, leading to a decline in the water quality.  Parameters such as Chlorophyll and Oxygen are imperative when measuring water quality parameters.

Oxygen fell below FDEP hypoxic criterion
on 9/16/15 (1.23 mg/L)

Chlorophyll is a color pigment found in plants, algae and phytoplankton. FDEP sets regulations regarding the amount of chlorophyll acceptable within the water column.  The graph on the right shows that chlorophyll did in fact exceed the regulation on 9/4/2015(4.4μg/L) as well as on 12/11/2016 (6.7μg/L). A high concentration of chlorophyll  could lead to a hypothesis that there may be an immense amount of phytoplankton biovolume.  The reason for this amount of phytoplankton could have to do with an overabundance in nutrients. Due to limited space phytoplankton (algae specifically) will begin to die and therefore decompose.  This decomposition leads to hypoxia, or very low oxygen in the water. No oxygen, no life.  The two most important nutrients for phytoplankton growth are the elements, Nitrogen and Phosphorus, which are also two commonly combined elements in your every day fertilizer, a common anthropogenic source leading to an overabundance of nutrients within the water column due to river runoff.  There seems to be a relationship between high amounts of nutrients measured on 9/16/2015 and hypoxia.  Copper was also measured within the water quality parameters although information of this requires some further research and therefore, will be discussed further in posts to come.

Total Phosphate (TP) exceeded FDEP regulations (0.3, 0.4, 0.49).
Total Inorganic Nitrogen exceeded FDEP regulations (0.51) on 9/16/2015.

Citations:

(1) (K Fegley, City Engineer of New Smyrna Beach, September 2015)

(2) Garland, Ed.2015. The Indian River Lagoon: An Estuary of natural significance. Retrieved from http://floridaswater.com/indianriverlagoon/

Deanna, UR- Questioning the Law

Since my ultimate goal is to be a game warden with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, for my Independent Research Project I want to try to bring the law side of things together with the science of this class. In order to do this I am wanting to see basically is there a reason for people to be poaching (which is illegally hunting or catching game or fish in an unfair way) in Flagler County (since that is where I live). I am going to focus on Sciaenops ocellatus, which is commonly known as Red Drum. This species is a very popular sport fish statewide and has been known to be pretty good to eat; I personally am not a big fish eater so I can't say whether I agree or not.


Sciaenops ocellatus - Red Drum

According to the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH), these fish can tolerate a wide range of temperature and salinity. And "Young red drums inhabit mainly estuaries, river mouths and shallow coastal waters until age three to four. At this age, they tend to leave the protection of estuaries, moving into open coastal waters" (FLMNH). Also this species can produce one-half to two million eggs per breeding season.



Red Drum Management Zones- each zone has slightly
different regulations.

Currently the rules and regulations by FWC for Red Drum are that they have to be between 18 and 27 inches in total length and a person can catch 2 per person per day in the Northern part (blue and green sections on this map) of the state- or 1 per person per day from about Volusia county south (orange section of this map)- or an 8 per vessel limit. However, I have unfortunately heard stories of people not following these laws. Plus these rules and regulations became effective in February of 2012. Which makes me wonder, how reasonable are these laws for the Flagler County area?

The FWC does do stock assessments for each year, however even their 2015 stock assessment doesn't have information from the actual year of 2015. The 2015 stock assessment does state, "Lengths of most Red Drum landed by recreational fishers during 2010-2014 were between 44cm (17.3 inches) and 72cm (28inches) total length". Which is fairly accurate for the current laws but since these numbers are not from 2016, or even 2015, I wanted to use this IRP to see if there is much of a change in these numbers, specifically for Flagler County.

Chris Browne, UR - Human Bacterium

(False-color scan electron micrograph courtesy of R. Friedlander & M. Bucaro.)

     E. coli, (Escherichia coli), sounds nasty, dangerous and something to be feared, right? Well, there’s plenty of it inside you right now. It’s a beneficial bacteria, and in my paper I will address all assumptions and angles for this little hitchhiker. Attending certain research criteria are met my IRP will dive into E. coli habitats, where it can be found, its biologic life cycle (Trafton, 2013) how and why it can be harmful to us and more typically third world countries (CDC, 2015). Local research will include Canal Street, New Smyrna. I’ll include different variables, when, what, why and how towards these bacterium.

     The assumptions that I have need a base or they need proper research to be refined. The way it looks so far is that this stuff is everywhere (Perry, 2013), especially in side us. My scientific question would be somewhere in the vicinity of: Where and why is E.coli showing up in canal street, and can certain measures be taken that would conclusively address the problem? It needs some refining, but there would be a lot of research to do, including what other communities around the world have done about similar if not identical problems.

E. coli ~ Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

    (Friedlander, 2013), and my only problem would be combing through such a vast subject. After I address local issues and possibilities, I may address the potential positive roles that microbiology (McAlpine, 2015), including E.coli research, have for us as a species. Sometimes it’s the smallest organisms that can make the biggest difference.

The internet and peer reviewed journals are full of research on this topic

~CMB

CDC. (2015). General Information. Retrieved from CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/general/index.html

Friedlander, R. (2013). Bacterial flagella explore microscale hummocks and hollows to increase adhesion. Retrieved from PNAS: http://www.pnas.org/content/110/14/5624.full

McAlpine, K. (2015). How new biosensors turn E. coli into something valuable. Retrieved from Harvard Gazette: http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/08/how-new-biosensors-turn-e-coli-into-something-valuable/

Perry, C. (2013). Clinging to crevices, E. coli thrive. Retrieved from Harvard SEAS: https://www.seas.harvard.edu/news/2013/04/clinging-crevices-e-coli-thrive

Trafton, A. (2013). How quickly can a bacterium grow? Retrieved from MIT News: http://news.mit.edu/2013/how-quickly-can-a-bacterium-grow-0827

Victoria UR- "We're going to need a bigger boat"

For my Independent Research Project, I will be tagging sharks. The goal is to find which shark species call the local waters home and use them for nurseries. 

Shark Tagging Kit

Tagging Information: The process of tagging a shark is simple in theory and in overall directions, but the actual physical process is somewhat difficult. Depending on the size of the shark being tagged determines the size of the tag used. When tagging juveniles, it is a small tag, that gets inserted with a needle looking tool that just pushes the barbed end of the tag into the soft tissue of the sharks upper lateral body, where there are almost no nerves to worry about hurting them. For adults the task is more difficult. The tools can range from another needle like tool to using a drill. The black tip that I posted in last weeks blog got a full tag that required a drill to clamp a GPS tag onto the dorsal fin, that will eventually rust and fall off, leaving the tag with all the tracking information. The dorsal fin has no nerves in it just like the upper lateral section of the body, so there is no pain to the shark that is being tagged.

NOAA shark tagging instructions


There are many animals of all different species that call the Indian River Lagoon home. There are the common species of fish that we see all the time when fishing or at local restaurants that have fisheries. Every now and again though, we hear stories of sharks in our waters. After all, New Smyrna Beach is the recorded shark bite capital of the world. Because of this, we know that there are many different species of sharks that call the Indian River Lagoon home, and use it as a breeding ground to nurse the pups to become mature enough to survive on their own. One of the most terrifying species, the Bull shark, calls our waterways home and are very important to our ecosystem.
IRL Bull Sharks

This is a photo from my Shark Ecology class. This is a sand bar being tagged, which required punching a hole in the dorsal fin, like using a hole punch for school papers. The tag was then inserted, and the data was recorded with the tag number.

Shark Tracker  This is the webpage that the OCEARCH team has been working on. One of the scientists who worked on this project was the Professor who taught the Shark Ecology class and is the one in the above picture tagging the shark.

One of many different kinds of tags that can be used on a shark. This one is used to track the migrations patterns and living habits of the shark, and will fall off at a particular point in time.

Renee; UR : FEED ME SEYMOUR!!

As I've made fairly apparent since my first blog the subject of my IRP is Sarracenia minor better known as the hooded pitcher plant. Specifically I will be studying the soil in which the hooded pitcher plant grows at Longleaf Pine Preserve in what Google calls Deland and I just call the pine swamp down the road from the Cabbage Patch so normal people know what I'm talking about.

Google takes you to the location indicated above....
(3736 E New York Ave, DeLand, FL 32724)
However my site is actually located to the east and a bit north of the rectangular county road 4118 label.
(That is the road which leads to the Cabbage Patch)

My official scientific question is still in development but I will be discussing a few ideas with Dr. Emmett tomorrow. My favorite so far is this one: "How does soil nutrient content vary from soils in close proximity to established specimens of Sarracenia minor to soil of similar types found at distances greater than three feet from Sarracenia minor specimens?"

In particular I want to define proximity more specifically so I know how far away I should be taking the "no pitcher plant samples" and how close would be best to take the "pitcher plants present samples". I have not found any specific comments or studies concerning the root habits of these plants but Dr.Emmett had mentioned in our last meeting that their preferred habitat being wet would predispose them to compact root systems since they do not have to travel far in search of water and being carnivorous they would be supplementing the nutrient poor soil with their bug of choice rather than producing large root systems for finding nutrients.

Sarracenia minor is classified by both the Institute for Systematic Botany at the University of South Florida and the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Plant Database as a threatened plant species in Florida. S. minor (Sarracenia minor) is a flowering plant which produces fruits when these flowers are pollinated. The USDA also classifies these guys as an obligate wetland species meaning if they are found in an area then that area must be a wetland. Funny thing though: none of these profiles mention that the pitcher plant is carnivorous. Thus I giggled for several moments and wandered over to the Institute's virtual herbarium and all I could think about while browsing the S. minor specimens was the giant plant from the play Little Shop of Horrors saying "Feed me Seymour, FEED ME!" Then my awful brain conjured up images of giant bugs... 

These are country singers...
NOT pitcher plants...
I promise Y'all. ;)

Speaking of bugs I was very excited to find an article comparing the 'feeding habits' of S. minor in general with a particular subspecies called S. m. var. okefenokeensis (Sarracenia minor variety: okefenokeensis) found in the Okefenokee Swamp which straddles the Florida/Georgia line. (Show of hands how many of you paused and went: "Hold on, she isn't talking about the country singers, right? No? Ok then moving on...") These guys, the plants not the country singers, are generally taller and it turns out that they attract a wider variety of insects than most S. minor. Their prey also varied with the seasons and specific specimen location.(2) Sadly I had trouble finding pictures that I could verify weren't just stock photos of S. minor labeled as okefenokeensis.

The S. minor I will be studying are of the simple variety that most often lures in ants but I have put okefenokeensis on my "Must Visit List".

The other published research I found consisted mostly of studying critters, particularly microbes, moths and fire ants, that live inside and around the pitcher plants. 

A master's thesis from the University of North Florida I found did look at how the flowering rate of the hooded pitcher plant was effected when introducing nitrogen to the soil but the student's sources of error set off some red flags that I may not want to use his information but to focus on not repeating his mistakes. These errors included a burn(I'm assuming a controlled burn meant to help promote the health of the wetland he was studying) prior to his study which would have put a lot of stress on the plants and the fact that S. minor does not use nitrogen immediately but instead stores it for new growth in the next growing season.(1)

Anyway I'm more curious about the conditions S. minor is already living in so that we can preserve what pitcher plant friendly wetlands we already have. Preservation is a whole lot easier than restoration. Luckily the state of Florida provides me a few tools to help me plan out my study without leaving my living room and jam-jams.

Remember when I mentioned I originally planned to be a graphic
designer? This is a time when those skills come in handy.

Awesome Tool #1: FLUX

Here in the sunshine state we have a state wide policy for classifying different kinds of land called the *Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System more easily recognized as FLUX. To the right I have cut out a portion of an online map featuring the locations of the pitcher plants found on the site I will be studying along with the 2004-2013 FLUX designations for that area represented by the colors tinting the aerial background. Sadly I could find nothing newer than 2013 from a reputable source. This one was created by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Awesome Tool #2: Maps 
(Particularly soils)
The Florida Geographic Data Library has the FLUX  overlays (in mapping overlays use color patches to tell the viewer something about a number of areas. Like the three FLUX areas in the map above these patches are often translucent and a key is used to determine what is represented by each color) which is great but they also have soil types that can be used similarly to see specifically what kind of soil can be found where. Knowing the soil types tells us what kind of nutrients and moisture conditions to expect.
The FLUX is better for a general idea of the area but for my purposes the soils map is very exciting. Now I just have to find the best one to use and get it put on the map...

Citations
(1) Lemons, J, "Nutrient Availability Affects Flower Rate but has Limited Influence on Morphology     and the Hooded Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia minor." (2013). UNF Theses and Dissertations. Paper 475.
http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/475
(2)Stephens, J., Godwin, R., Folkerts, D. (2015, June) Distinction in Pitcher Morphology and Prey Capture of the Okefenokee Variety within Carnivorous Plant Species Sarracenia minor. Southeastern Naturalist, 14(2), 254-266. doi: 10.1656/058.014.0208
<<<Help!!! I can't get the citations to format correctly on the blog!!! :(((((

Q&A

Q:Deb n' Paul (Dr. Woodall)
Renee (with double Es)--your blog posts are wonderful. I'm also very excited to find out what you and Dr. Emmett discover. I"m sure your findings will be beneficial to others--please be prepared to create a poster and present at a professional conference--this IRP is obviously headed that way!

A: I am so glad you are enjoying my blogs!! I endeavor to be entertaining as well as informative. I will keep a future poster in the back of my noggin and I already made a priority 1 sticky note about it! I really hope that my findings will be helpful to conservation efforts for this plant. Particularly in helping to better understand why these pitcher plants often grow at fairly long distances from each other even though the general soil type is more or less the same. 


PS. Someone remind me not to post anything after 9:30PM.... After rereading this following some sleep I apparently turn into a goober after 9:30PM. An informative goober but a goober nonetheless.

Dave, UR - Airborne, All The Way.

Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Div. Assoc. after a toy collection

 Last post, I said I would finish my story to now, so as loathsome as it is to write about myself, I still keep the promises I make.

Among the Paratrooper Community, there is a popular phrase that gets learned in the first week of Airborne School, and makes sense after the first dynamic aircraft exit: All The Way. It describes a personality type that is unique to Paratroopers, and remains an ethos for the Airborne throughout their entire lives.  If something is worth doing, it is worth doing 110% of it.  It is this heightened state of motivation that drives Paratroopers towards their defined goals, and pushes them to complete their objectives, regardless of setbacks or obstacles.

Once I had determined that I would be going to college, I decided it would be prudent to set a direction, and make it the career that I spend the rest of my life fulfilling. I've already been many things, some of them much more intense than others, but college presented the opportunity to reach towards careers that I had only previously considered as dreams.  Now, it's an understatement to say "Not everyone gets to be an astronaut," so I'm keeping that on the back burner. NASA, you have my number, when you're ready.

Ocracoke Island, NC. Home, and an example of coastal symbiosis.

I instead chose Marine Biology, and more specifically a Ph.D. in Marine Mammology. "All The Way," right?  For me, the choice was simple. I grew up on Ocracoke Island, NC, home to a permanent population of roughly 750 people. It's got a quiet village that only occupies the southwest corner around the natural harbor. The rest of the island is unscathed ecosystem, making it a popular site for marine researchers. I'm certain the great local food, and laid-back lifestyle never hurts their feelings either.  This means however, that I grew up exploring the wetlands, and diving from boats, while other kids were playing SEGA. I grew up with heroes like Dr. Sylvia Earle and Dr. Robert Ballard, who were setting the standards in oceanic exploration.  I even wrote to Dr. Ballard when I was 10, and he replied with a personal letter on Wood's Hole letterhead, and an autographed photo.  Now he's a Professor in the Department of Ocean Engineering at the University of Rhode Island, and helps run the Inner Space Center.  I intend to write him again in the next year or two, to let him know what happens when you take the time to inspire a 10-year-old kid.

That brings us to now.  Last semester, I joined the STEM Community Scholars Program at Daytona State, and had Dr. Woodall assigned as my STEM Mentor. I was looking for a direction in which to start research, and I had already shared my nutty ideas for a Ph.D. thesis, so she asked me, "Why not get started now?"

I WANT TO TALK TO DOLPHINS.

Not just communicate, but actually have a meaningful conversation.  Below is my presentation poster from last semester, where I covered what is actually known on the topic.  Fortunately, Dr. Denise Herzing, of the Department of Biological Sciences at Florda Atlantic University, had the same idea about 30 years ago, and has laid a great foundation of research, with a ton of footage collected from a wild population in the Bahamas.  Through her research, I recognized a technologically-induced capability ceiling that is preventing her from making any major breakthroughs in her analysis.  She currently employs an underwater video camera with two hydrophones as her primary collection device.  She has countless hours of dolphin interaction, and through partnership with Georgia Tech, has been organizing all of that footage via super-computing. The problem is, she is still having trouble isolating what sounds are coming from specific dolphins, so it is difficult to discern the subtleties of a conversation.  It is for this reason, that I will not be showing you any nifty pictures of dolphins this semester. I am instead enlisting the help of Brent Meister (CUR, IMES at Daytona State College), and my dear friend Matthew Rhoney (B.S. Aerospace Engineering, Florida Institute of Technology Graduate Student) to help me develop a new style of array-driven collection equipment, that will allow researchers to monitor specific marine organisms, without invading their social environment.

If I tell you more, I will have nothing to write about next time. I talk too much as it is.
~Dave

Research Presentation from the STEM Community Scholars Program Undergraduate Symposium, Fall, 2015.

Mike UR: Why Environmental Science technology?

I chose Environmental Science hoping it might help me find what I want to do with my life. I’m also taking classes to get my real estate license, and if that works out that will probably be what I end up doing. I’ve always loved being out in the woods in Maine, they always seemed endless, like you could walk for days and never see another person, just eagles, otters and moose. This country needs more expanses of forest, devoid of roads, trails and park benches.

Me and Jack Hanna at Sea World


 

My IRP is going to be a study of catfish in Crescent Lake, a sixteen thousand acre lake on the western edge of Flagler County. The lake averages about 10 feet deep, with some sustained areas of 12-16 feet along the lower west shoreline, and a deep 20 to 30 foot channel between Crescent and Dead Lake. Catfish are mostly left alone, as people prefer to fish for crappie. My focus will be on white catfish and whether they prefer the daytime or nighttime, their preference of bait, and weather conditions. White catfish are now seeing a slight increase in popularity as an alternative to the more popular and larger Blue catfish and are now being introduced beyond their natural range of the east coast.



Me in Maine

Samantha, CUR- What I stand for is what I stand on.

Collecting water quality data at Canal Street Canal 

         We are tied to the ocean and when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch we are going back from where we came.  As a child I was brought up to base my beliefs according to my parents which has been the same for generations.  I could not submit however, I believed in so much more.  My fondness for the ocean started with my yearly trips to SeaWorld.  I was drawn by the animals I was seeing right before my eyes.  It wasn't close enough for me though, I wanted to be right next to them, touching, playing, talking. This was the beginning of my determination to become a Marine Biologist in which I could train dolphins ! It sounded great when I was 5, I even got a chance to swim with them.  This was my dream for the next 12 years and then this dream came to a halt.  With age comes knowledge and I began to research any information I could about marine life specifically dolphins when I came across a book, A dolphins Smile, by a former Marine Biologist and present activist, Rick O'Barry . "A dolphins smile is the greatest deception." These words hit me like a knife.  After more research I did not care so much for interacting with the animals, I cared more about their protection.  This is when I knew I wanted to save the world.

Taking water quality samples at
Spruce Creek Canal 

 Well, I'm being facetious but I did want to do something.  I began to volunteer in my area focusing on educating others on the importance of the marine environment and ways to conserve and protect it.  This idea is my dream exactly, to protect and conserve marine life along with the environment, but how?  Associated with my volunteer work I was able to participate in Sea Grass surveys, which led me to my answer my question, I wanted to study the water.  I find it captivating how one drop of water can reveal secrets of the ocean. My infatuation of study is anthropogenic pollution.  My Independent Research Project (IRP) is being continued and consists of monitoring water quality at discharge point in a man made canal associated with a storm drain system. This Site location is an imperative area for many reasons and the water quality accompanying must be monitored which I will discuss in posts to come!

Freddie;UR-The Ripple Effect

Hey everybody I’m back I’m pretty sure you’re wondering what has brought me to this point in the pursuit of my desired career. I didn’t choose to be anything I was chosen to be an adventurer seeking for new answers and new ways to solve problems, what kind of career would give me that fulfilling excitement I’m looking for ? which was marine biology.

people can be destructive lets be productive.

 

the truest quote ever wrote.

 

me at animal kingdom getting my zen on.

 

we where born to stand out not fit in.

I want to actually voyage places of the ocean that is unexplored find new discoveries myself. The thing that motivates me towards becoming a marine biologist is seeing that it is an open field for independent researchers who want to stand out. What inspires me the most is when people take the initiative to take on the responsibility of caring for the world’s vast oceans and its inhabitants. I care about the wellbeing and balance of all living organisms and the habitat they thrive in and believe that the ocean plays a huge role in our everyday lives on a very large scale. I think my IRP might be about how the oceans are connected to all aspects of life. This earth is a beautiful planet and I believe that with the right knowledge one person can make a change. The ripple effect

Deanna, UR- Why Environmental Science?

Growing up loving the outdoors and wildlife, making the decision to want to be a game warden with Florida Wildlife Commission was simple for me. It all started when I was really young and my step dad had brought home a baby alligator, it was maybe about foot and a half long (maybe not even) and he had almost an entire roll of duct tape wrapped around it's mouth and legs so it couldn't run away or bite. He found it in the yard and was going to relocate it. Until a game warden who was a family friend showed up and took the alligator away. At the time I had no idea that what he did was illegal but I was amazed. And as time passed, my fascination with wildlife continued to grow. The older I got the more time I spent learning whatever I could about different wildlife species and the laws put in place by FWC to protect them. The wildlife, that we have all come to know and love, simply can not always protect itself. The environment doesn't have a voice, and it needs people to be their advocate and help. And in my mind, the best way for me to do my part is by becoming a game warden.

 

Me, my step dad and the baby gator covered in duct tape

When it comes to my IRP, I want to combine the Environmental Science aspects with the FWC laws. In order to do this I want to do a study on a popular species of fish. By popular I mean one that a lot of people fish for. My IRP would basically be to see how many fish, in an area, of are legal size to take from the waters.

Rachel UR - To Infinity and Below!

The Leviathan chasing escape pods in
the Disney movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Have you ever wondered what could be lurking below the waves? How about what could be on the ocean floor? For me, these questions have lead me to where I am today. It all started back when I was around 4 or 5 years old. My mother brought home a couple of VHS's (pretty old tech right?) from the local wall mart and among those was a Disney movie called Atlantis: The Lost Empire. At first I had no clue what the movie was going to be about. As soon as the movie started up I was transported into a mystical world of underwater civilization and fantastic creature. My mind began to wonder if all of this could really be out there. Was it all true? Could it be possible for it to remain undiscovered?

Greenland shark smiles for the camera!

     After watching this movie for hours on end I became fascinated with the idea of being the explorer to find this lost city, if it did exist. In the movie they state that the shepherds journal, the book containing the map to Atlantis, was found off the coast of Iceland so naturally that was the first place that I started looking for evidence. In my research I came across an animal that grabbed my attention, the Greenland Shark. At first I couldn't understand how such a slow moving creature was able to be a predator. The more I researched the more I learned and eventually I found out that Greenland Sharks are bottom feeders.

     Unfortunately, it's extremely hard to study Greenland Sharks down here in Florida so I have to go for the next best thing, rays. Rays are very similar to sharks in that they are both cartilaginous fish. They both also have ampullae of lorenzini which are small receptors located around the shark's head that can detect minute electrical signals generated by the contracting of muscles. My plan for my IRP is to test to see if the ampullae of lorenzini react the same way to magnets as it does in sharks. With this information I can find a safe alternative to keep rays and sharks out of swinzones without using a net. The nets cause a problem because the sharks, rays, and other marine life can get tangled in them a die. I would like to provide an alternative to nets that keeps both humans and marine life safe.

Shark stuck in fisherman's net