Optimum seagrass conditions- Seaira

This week I feel good about my project and what I can accomplish in the semester time frame. After a suggestion from Dr. Woodall I have a straight forward objective as to my research to observe the seagrass I care about so deeply. I would like to take five samples from different locations in the Indian River Lagoon, and bring them back to the lab to test for nitrates, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and chlorophyll content. I will most likely also test for pH and salinity for extra data to create comparative graphs. My goal is to compare the averages of the nutrient levels in the Indian River Lagoon, to that of ideal conditions for seagrass beds in the lagoon. This week I discovered that there are seven species of seagrass that inhabit the lagoon, these include: turtle grass, manatee grass, shoal grass, Johnson's sea grass, star grass, paddle grass, and widgeon grass. While I am collecting my water samples for testing I will hopefully be able to locate and identify at least the more dominant grasses (shoal and manatee) to take plant press samples of. I also discovered that based on research done by the University of Florida light attenuation is the most important factor in seagrass health and population growth. Most of the sediments at the bottom of the lagoon are silt and sand based, which when disturbed by motor activity and dredging can reduce water clarity and increase TSS. Based on this information I think recording turbidity and chlorophyll levels will be beneficial in my comparisons to determine a profile of the lagoon habitat. I also discovered in my readings that seagrass communities prefer a salinity of 20 ppt, which is classified as brackish water. I am able to test this directly in the field with a refractometer.

This is an image of the Indian River Lagoon in September 2012 when a large algae bloom was taking place. I wonder what the TSS reading for this site looks like?