This week I will finally start my seven week experiment of dissolving
coral in five different amounts of pH.
My control pH will be 8.1, which is the
normal alkaline state of seawater, then I will have four more containers of
water with different amounts of pH deceasing from 8.1. I will use every other
number: 7.9, 7.7, 7.5, and 7.3.
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Over time the pH in each container will decrease more and more
as it dissolves the coral. I could either maintain the pH of the water over
time or I could see what the pH is in each container at the end of the
experiment. I think that it would be a lot more interesting to see the outcome
of the pH in the end. Either way, I will be recording the measurements of each
piece of coral with a caliper before putting them in the containers, then twice
a week in the same spots for seven weeks.
This past Friday, our Oceanography lab consisted of going to Ponce Inlet Park, and measuring the dune elevations.
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| Our group holding the CRAIN telescoping leveling rod afflixed with a SOKKIA rod level, for the other group to look at with the SOKKIA C28. |
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| I am using the SOKKIA C28 mounted on a Northwest aluminum tripod, to look at the leveling rod and measure the distance of the dune away from the viewer area and the height of the dune. |
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| Everyone showing how much fun were having. |
Sounds like a fun project, however instead of mixing the water with instant ocean, why not use real seawater. we live right on the ocean. The salt mix does not even create true seawater as it is missing a huge number of elements which are found in the ocean. Just a thought -Ryan
ReplyDeleteRyan--using real seawater might be a good thought! We might want to think about filtering it though--don't want respiring OM reducing the pH!! With instant ocean--Brittnie would likely not have those issues (or increased/unknown variables)
DeleteThat is what Ryan and I talked about in class Friday. Using seawater would require the use of a protein skimmer; it would filter and aerate the seawater.
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