Renee; UR: A huge thank you to my lovely assistant!

Skye, my lovely lab assistant helping me prepare a slurry!
(A slurry is a mixture in which fine particles such as dirt
are suspended in a liquid. In my case the liquid is
de-ionized water)

A very exciting week to report! I actually got to take some readings myself in the lab. I even had an extra set of tiny hands to help me out!
My official science buddy and daughter Skye joined me in the lab and lucky for us both of the tests I was planning to perform are simple enough for her to help with.

We used a Hach HQ11D pH meter to measure pH and a OHAUS ST20R ORP Pen to measure redox potential. As I've discussed in this previous post a redox reaction or oxidation-reduction reaction is a type of chemical reaction that involves a transfer of electrons between two species. In this instance the transfer would be between various molecules that include oxygen such as sulfate and anaerobes (anaerobes are organisms that live and grow without free oxygen) in my soil samples.
Knowing the well aerated(introduced to or containing air), high organic content of the wetland soil I was testing and that the area is thick with pine trees I hypothesized before I began testing my samples that the pH would be acidic and that the there would be few or no redox reactions taking place.

When looking over my results keep in mind that RZ-1
is associated with C-1. Also mV sands for milli-volt.

Unfortunately because of time constraints I was only able to test four of my ten samples. The RZ samples are root zone samples taken six inches from the base of a reference specimen. I also tested one of the contrast or C sample which was taken 3 feet from the same specimen as the RZ sample with the same number. I squeezed this one in because Dr. Woodall and I were so excited to see if there was a significant difference between it and the associated root zone sample.

I would love it if everyone took a look at the results I've gathered so far and tell me what kinds of results you think I might find in samples C-2 and C-3. What might the differences between RZ-1 and C-1 imply?
Keep in mind that per mine and Dr. Woodall's research into soil conditions preferred by Sarracenia  minor (the hooded pitcher plant) this plant prefers loose soil with a pH of 4 or less, meaning very acidic.

Also here is a table to help you understand my redox results a little better. I've even helpfully circled the mV (milli-volt) range at which all of my samples thus far fall under. FYI aerobic conditions contain freely available oxygen like that which we breath.

Q&A
Q: Joseph Sec.1
I'm looking at your picture of a 'healthy' plant and wondering if the size and/or number of 'sprouts' in that one area says anything about the health of its soil conditions? Will you be looking at that?

A:  That is a great idea! I will add it to the list of other questions the tests on my soil samples may help answer. I normally have a problem with trying to look at everything ever all at once so I've been been trying to keep my focus on why the hooded pitcher plant is so sporadic in Longleaf Pine Preserve. Also that is a picture from last fall before the cold set in and my buddies were particularly happy after a fantastic growing season of favorable weather conditions.

Q: Maryanne Sec.65
I'm not exactly sure how to ask this properly but how do the seeds of the pitcher plant spread? Could their location have more to do with their seed's ability or inability to spread somewhere else rather than the condition of the soil? Really neat looking plants btw! I googled a picture.

A: Your question is great and the only thing that constitutes a "correctly asked" question is that the one asked understands what you are asking. ;)  
To answer your question which I understood just fine: the seed dispersal of the hooded pitcher plant is Dr. Emmett's current area of study.  He hypothesizes that the annual flooding experienced by the area is the likely spreading agent and he has advised that he does not see any readily apparent reason for the sparse spread of S. minor in Longleaf Pine Preserve based on his knowledge of the hooded pitcher plant and the locations flooding potential.

Lilli -- UR, My Midterm Proposal

Along with forgetting my post from last week (my brain is simply done with life this week), I also need to post my blog for this week.
Although Dr. Woodall has yet to hand back any of my classmates evaluation forms (Yikes!), I do however have the specific feedback given to me following my presentation. My classmates had several great ideas as to how to improve, perhaps the most helpful is to slow down. I admit this is an issue for me as I get so nervous that I simply begin to speed through my slides in order to control my nervousness and it has been suggested to me in the past that I slow down on my public presentations. My classmates also pointed out that my scientific question does not need to be a different color in order to stand out, I myself was surprised to see it was red when I was giving my presentation as I don't remember making it red, that does not mean I didn't though. Dr. Woodall also pointed out to myself as well as the class that when a mistake is made during a presentation do not apologize simply keep moving forward. I realized half through my proposal that I was talking very quickly and apologized to my class for moving so fast, I knew when I said it that I shouldn't have as Dr. Arcuri in my speech class told me the same thing. My only explanation is that I always apologize for everything, it has become second nature almost to me and it is a hard habit to break.
Aside from the changes I intend to make to follow my classmates as well as Dr. Woodalls advice, I also have revised my scientific question, as well as redesigned my graph to be more appropriate for the data given, though that was of my own volition and was not commented on by my classmates. I also plan to include a map of where my samples where taken as a reference and that is once again, taking Dr. Woodalls advice. Another change I plan to make is to practice by myself as opposed to practicing in front of my brother in law who did nothing but crack jokes during my practicing. And I thought I could trust him! I also thought that if I were to either video tape myself or take an audio recording of myself while practicing that I could pinpoint where my flow and speed issues come in and adjust those accordingly, though to be honest with myself I know even if I practiced for a hundred years I would still get nervous and sick when the time came to actually speak to my class and professor so in some aspects no amount of practice will help, however I am confident I can get a better grade with the implementation of the changes I have outlines here. 

Lilli -- Ur, And the Scientific Questions Is......

I just realized I forgot to re-post my entry from last week so Dr. Woodall with my sincere apologies here is my proposal and scientific question as well as my methods and materials. 
For those who are unaware UR in the title refers to "Undergraduate Researcher", which I and many of my fellow students are.

My IRP (Independent Research Project) deals with micro plastics, it was originally just looking at the amount and presence of plastics in the ocean environment however after analyzing some samples I have decided to narrow my search to the IRL (Indian River Lagoon) and more specifically at least one location has been locked down and that is the Canal Street Canal in New Smyrna. Micro Plastics are microscopic particles of plastic that can be found in the marine environment and occur from many sources. Some sources of micro plastics are garbage that gets washed into the ocean from weather events such as hurricanes, as well as those pieces that are simply discarded by people. They break down due to wave and current activity as well as UV radiation and become integrated into the water column where they are eaten by fish and other marine animals and are introduced into the food chain. It is important to note that there are many types of plastics found in the marine environment and my project will focus primarily on micro plastic fibers. For more information please visit Dr. Maya McGuires website here Florida Microplastic Awareness Project.
My original plan was to work with Mallory at the MDC (Marine Discovery Center) to analyze samples that their volunteers had collected, however after some issues with the integrity of the data collections and filtration methods Dr. Woodall and I have decided it would be best for me to filter and analyze my own samples.  Therefore, my current proposal is to collect and analyze samples collected by Dr. Woodall and my fellow classmate and friend Sam Edel for the presence and concentration of micro plastics in the Canal Street Canal. My scientific question which has been revised at the request of Dr. Woodall and is currently "Does micro plastics occur in the Canal Street Canal and if so in what concentration"? The samples are collected using nalgene bottles and stored for analysis at a later time. They are then filtered using a 500 mL beaker, 47mm glass filters 0.45mm pore size and a Fisher Scientific Maximadry Vacuum pump. After the sample is filtered it is analyzed by myself and I take note of the amount of plastic fibers found per mL of water filtered. 

Image of micro plastic after filtering found by Dr. McGuires team.

Chris Browne, UR - Finer Changes In Location

Q: Joseph sec. 1: I guess I'm confused. You are going to be testing for excessive depositional nutrients, e coli and every other kind of bacteria? I know Dr. Woodall said we should ask only one question at a time but I can't help asking more here. what's the connection between depositional nutrients and bacteria and can you test for e coli and every other kind of bacteria at one time? (sorry Dr. Woodall!--maybe you can give me extra points?)

Canal Street Basin

A1: Yes indeed it has been a little confusing. To make it more clear, I will be testing for bacteria in, after further changes, two different locations, and comparing the results. After discussion, Dr. Woodall has determined that my testing will be put to best use in both of the areas; Canal Street, regardless of the fence, and also Tuscawilla Park. They are from different environments, yet will hopefully shine some light on coliform bacteria in these areas.


A2: Frequentcy of bacteria and abnormal excessive nutrients can but don't automatically go hand in hand. By testing the Park's surface water for bacteria, and then teaming up with Emily Reyes's research we may similar results in that Eutrophic water bodies are adversely effected by bacteria and depositional nutrients.

Tuscawilla Park (E. Reyes)

     


     That being said, and If you had read the Q&A then, you have heard correctly in the fact that my location has changed slightly again. I will now be testing Canal Street and Tuscawilla Park for E. coli, and other coliform bacteria. Same materials and methods, which will be used in a week or so. I will be setting up the autoclave with Dr. Horikami next Friday, and doing the filtration the following Monday.

-CMB

Samantha, CUR- Canal Street Cruise

Canal Street (located in New Smyrna Beach) is an imperative historical thruway for locals and tourists for many reasons.  At the East End of the street, lies a man made subterranean (existing underneath) canal.

Photo from East end of the canal approx. 3/4 of basin which cuts
off into the IRL

Mid September of last year Dr. Woodall, former colleagues as well as myself found that this body of water was hypoxic, measuring at 1.23mg/L(milligrams per Liter).  Hypoxic waters mean that the specific body of water is depleted in dissolved oxygen and thus very little or no  life would be able to live in that specific body of water.  Canal Street Canal consists of a 5x8 box culvert running along the Southside of Canal Street westward approximately 1 mile to the Hickory street intersection which is considered the upstream location.  The contributing watershed (if unfamiliar with term refer to, What is a Watershed) is approximately 170.6 acres collecting mostly untreated street runoff.

Outline of Canal Street Canal (CSC) contributing watershed
flowing East, discharging into a body of water (starting on the left flowing to
the right where CSC discharge is located)

Thus, leading to my scientific question, are there any water quality parameters that exceed acceptable Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) regulations.  FDEP is Florida's lead agency for environmental management, protecting our air, water and land. In order to maintain waters, the FDEP has a criterion regarding acceptable measurements of nutrients such as Nitrogen and Phosphorus which I will be specifically focusing on.  The FDEP also has a hypoxic criterion, stating that any water quality measurement reading for Dissolved Oxygen(DO) less than 2mg/L is considered to be hypoxic.  I will also be focusing on measuring chlorophyll, a pigment found in photosynthetic organisms such as plants and algae or more commonly known as phytoplankton.  Canal Street Canal is defined as class III water and for more information regarding FDEP surface water criterion can be found here; Florida Surface Water Quality Standards.  With this being said, I have participated in water quality monitoring within this canal at discharge point.  The discharge point of the canal is the point where the affluent from a facility sewage disposal enters a ditch, surface of the ground, or in my case a body of water.  In order to do so, I have used common water quality monitoring procedures listed below;

Materials &Methods
In the field:

• Van Dorn was used to take water samples within the canal at surface as well as depth
• YSI85 measuring oxygen, salinity and conductivity
• 500 mL nalgene bottles in order to store water samples and transfer back to the IMES (Institute of Marine and Environmental Studies) lab

In the lab: 

• DR/890 HACH colorimeter to measure TIN(total inorganic nitrogen) & TP (Total Phosphate).
• For chlorophyll measurements the Fischer Scientific Filtration device was used                                                                                      -47mm filters (0.45 micron pore size)

Measuring depth of canal with Dr. Woodall's handy "concoction"
which is basically plastic tubes that fit together to make one big,
long tube. Consisting of lovely meter markings
allowing a determination of the water depth within the canal
(p.s please correct me if there is a certain name
for this "concoction.")

The water quality within this canal is significant element to maintaining water quality discharge standards into the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and therefore will be continued to be monitored at discharge as well as possible further monitoring within the extensive canal.  Questions or suggestions are greatly appreciated

Dave, UR - There is no Rosetta Stone for this...

I am still working out how I will get my third hydrophone, and may perhaps have to abandon the tri-hydrophone concept for the initial run this semester, in favor of narrowing my experiment to just evaluating collector shape.  Regardless, I can still talk about the intent and design of the experiment, and keep plugging at getting the right tools in hand.

With a large brain and complex behavior; dolphins are seemingly very smart

Dolphins are thought to be very smart creatures, but there are a number of contributing factors that establish this belief.  First, they have an encephalization quotient (EQ), or brain-to-body ratio, second only to humans. People land at a 7.0, dolphins at a 3.3, and great apes swing in at a 2.2.  This means that dolphins could be extremely smart, because we can understand their brain size, but have no quantitative measurement of its efficiency.

These cetaceans live in a fission-fusion society, where they grow up in a family group, and are then free to travel the ocean where they might live with five to seven different family groups in a lifetime. Through this process, they already have an established auditory and behavioral communication structure that can be likened to language and customs.  To this end, it is possible that we might understand how they communicate well enough to establish some nature of interactive dialogue.

Much of this work has been pioneered by Dr. Denise Herzing, of Florida Atlantic University, over the past thirty-one years. She has established the Wild Dolphin Project to expand her work, and ensure that her efforts continue forward.  Her last research update lecture from last October can be viewed here:

She has grouped their audible noises in an attempt to start pairing them to behaviors, and this is what she has established so far:

•Frequency Modulated Whistles

•Long Range Communication

•General interaction, Mother/Calf behavior, Signature whistles

•Burst Pulses

•Close Range Communication

•Head-to-head behavior, Aggression

•Buzzes

•Close Range Communication

•Courtship, Amorous behavior

•Echolocation Clicks

•Close to Medium Range Communication

•Modal support to vision, “Sonar”

 

The top three are considered "social" sounds, whereas the echolocation clicks are used for hunting and navigation. I will be primarily focusing on the social spectrum; approximately 10-40 kHz.  If you want to know more about echolocation, then check out Jack Kassewitz and his team at Speakdolphin.com.

It is my hope that building a collection array that will allow the direct monitoring of a singular organism within a group, will allow researchers to begin to pick apart the social context of dolphin interactions, and will bring us all one step closer to creating meaningful interaction.

"That's why it's called fishing, not catching."

Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)

Hello, everyone! My name is Deanna DeLong, and my independent research project is focusing on the current size and bag limit regulations for red drum. The current law states to harvest red drum in the state of Florida they have to be between 18 and 27 inches in length, anything above or below these measurements is illegal to harvest. Flagler county has a limit of two per person, per day. While Volusia county has a limit of one per person, per day or statewide the limit is eight per vessel. Red drum are a very active species and are one of the most popular sport fish species in the state. These fish remain in inshore water ways for approximately the first four years of their lives (reaching legal size within this time) and after they often move offshore but return for breeding. Red drum are also known to taste pretty good.

Map of red drum harvesting limits (green
and blue areas- 2 per person, per day.
orange/yellow area- one per person, per day.)

My scientific question is: how appropriate are the current regulations for harvesting red drum in Flagler county? For example, if majority of the fish I catch fall within the legal size limit I would assume that these fish are doing really well and perhaps the bag limit could be increased. Or maybe that if majority of the fish are above or below the limit I would believe red drum are being over harvested and that the laws would need to be more strict or even impose a closed season (where harvesting red drum would be illegal- regardless of size- for a set period of time to allow the population to increase). However, I am considering fishing both Flagler and Volusia county- just so I can fish more areas and better my chances of getting more fish.

My materials are not set in stone due to the fact that fishing is very unpredictable, and you have to be flexible with your materials. But my materials do include:


Red drum tailing- this is very common for
red drum.

-fishing license
-kayak
-rod and reel
-live bait hook
-live shrimp
-popping cork (bobber)
-standard ruler/tape measure

My method is very simple: catch, measure the length, and release.

Update: This morning (March 26) me and my step dad took the kayak out in Volusia county, where the Tomoka Basin and Halifax River meet, attempting to catch red drum. We seen a LOT of red drum tailing and chasing mullet, but had no luck actually getting them to bite. After fishing for about three hours the only thing I caught was a gray channel cat which was fifteen inches in total length, my step dad caught nothing. Better luck next time.

Emily UR - Welcoming fresh eyes

Halifax Plantation SMP

Tuscawilla Park SMP

Welcome to the blog OCE1001!
My name is Emily and I'm interested in nutrient pollution, specifically how much a sitting body of water receives after a rain event has passed through. I've been living in Florida for almost two years now and I've come to realize that this state is known for it's flat topography and thunderstorms just about as much as it's known for it's sunshine and orange juice. In order to prevent flooding in the flatlands, Stormwater Management Ponds (SMPs) are implemented in low-lying elevations to collect this rainwater which is essentially guided into the ponds via the higher elevations surrounding it. The water that drains from the surfaces into these SMPs is referred to as surface runoff and this water collects everything from decaying organic matter to fertilizer nutrients along the way to the pond where it accumulates and alongside surface water heating and low circulation of the water, has a high potential for creating an algae bloom.
I'm studying two stormwater management ponds to compare and contrast how much nutrients different environments will feed a pond after a rain event. The first SMP is located in the Halifax Plantation in Ormond Beach, a golfing community. The pond is surrounded by a fraction of golf course, 4 houses (one of which is currently being constructed) and is adjacent to Hwy I-95. The second SMP is located in Tuscawilla Park in Daytona Beach. The pond is just south of a small restroom in the park and a zipline course. Surrounding the pond are two paved roads and natural vegetation. This SMP is currently experiencing an algae bloom while the Halifax Plantation SMP is not.
So officially, my scientific question is this:
After a rain event, which SMP experiences the greatest amount of nutrient pollution?
To answer this question, I must look at my sources of nutrients which can be either from surface run off or from the composition of the atmosphere during the time of the rain, or a little of both. It's important to note that another student, Chris Browne, is studying the Tuscawilla SMP for bacteria, specifically E.coli which could help to determine if this pond is being polluted from the septic system at the park.
Materials:

• 4 2-Gallon Pails w/ handle
• VWR Clinical 20 Centrifuge
• Hach DR/890 Coloimeter
• Fisher Scientific MaximaDry Filter Pump
• 500mL bottles for water samples
• NOAA Hi-Def Radar app for iPhone
• NOAA HYSPLIT computer model

Method: 

1. Tracking a storm using the NOAA Radar app, I will collect two water samples from each SMP prior to the storm passing through. Before leaving, I will place two 2-gallon pails at each location to collect rainwater for later analysis.
2. Using Method 8048 to test for phosphate and Method 10021 to test for nitrogen with the Hach DR/890 Colorimeter, I will analyze the samples I collected prior to the storm.
3. Upon returning to my sites post-storm, the pails with the rainwater will be sealed and two more water samples from each pond will be collected for analysis. Each sample will be tested using the methods from step 2.
4. Using the NOAA HYSPLIT computer model, I will be able to create a backwards trajectory to see what kind of particulates I could expect to find in the collected water.

 I'm very open to any constructive criticism or thoughts and stoked to have a fresh set of eyes to review ongoing research.

Pedro UR; Canals on the Matanzas

Hey everyone, it's time for a brief recap. I am conducting an independent research project based on the the concerns of a homeowner in Flagler Beach. Mr. Charlie Faulkner is convinced that a nearby water treatment facility with a not so squeaky clean track record may be contaminating the river and leading to excess nutrients flowing into the canals upon which his community was built.

Venice Park platt Flagler Beach

 My goal is to determine if the water in his canals may be affected by a different source like a result of  the canals not flushing properly allowing oxygen rich waters to circulate.The plan is to create a transect of water samples in relation to the canals and the treatment facility. We will be using the following instruments:
MATERIALS:
Boat

YSI 85 oxygen, conductivity, salinity and temp. meter

Hach pH meter

Van Dorn water sampler

Secchi disk

Hach DR/890 colorimeter


Hach current velocity meter
These instruments will measure the levels of nutrients which we will compare to the Department of Environmental Protection Criteria for this area. The DEP sets standards according to the class of water body. This area is a class III water body. Although I have the criteria listed for this class of water body I am unsure how the DEP actually determines classes. This coming Monday will be the first of two trips Dr. Woodall and myself will be taking to begin sampling and I hope all goes well. Wish me luck!

Chris Browne, UR - Location Change, Bacteria

Petri Dish Example

     Canal Street is off limits. Looks like I’m teaming up with another local body of water with Emily Reyes. Suggested by Dr. Woodall, I will be doing the same IRP, just at Emily’s location. We will be testing for excessive depositional nutrients and coliform bacteria, including the big/little E. coli.

Tuscawilla Park, (Pic. ref. Emily R.)

     

     Question: Is E.coli and/or other bacteria found in the runoff area of Tuscawilla Park before and after rainfall, 

and if so just how much and what types are there?

Filtration Set-up

     

Method

Materials: -Sampling container

 (2 tests, 1 control)

-Autoclave

-Membrane Filter Unit:

  Funnel manifold, flask, glass

  Filter (0.45) microns, vacuum

-forceps, petri dish

-BGB broth

-Incubator

-Microscope

     

     

                                              Methods:  1. Sample size should be 20mL min, and the same size

          ~CMB                                                For each sample.

                                                               2. Autoclave entire filtration manifold.

                                                                   24 hours plus cool down, wrapped

                                                           3. Filter method, and set up filter on petri dish, incubate

                                                                 24 hours isolated

                                                        4. Count colonies of bacteria, using formula, report results.

      Equation for results: Coliform colonies per 100ml = Coliform colonies counted  X  100

                                                                                              mL of sample filtered

Renee; UR: Getting back into the swing...

I hope everyone had a fantastic Spring Break and is ready to jump back into the swing of things and do some science! To help everyone recall where I was before the holiday and to help our OCE1001 friends to get into the groove here is a highlight real of my IRP thus far:

A particularly large and healthy hooded pitcher plant at
Longleaf Pine Preserve.

Hello, I am Renee and I love carnivorous plants which lead me to wonder why my buddy Sarracenia minor better known as the hooded pitcher plant grows sporadically despite the wide availability of what appears to be good growing conditions in Longleaf Pine Preserve, Deland.
It occurred to me that while the conditions of the plant-less soil between hooded pitcher plant specimens may appear to be the same as that which the plants are actually found in there are lots of things I can't see with my human eyes that could prevent seedlings from taking root.

Remember: Maps can be helpful when gathering information
on a subject's habitat and when planning how/where
to take samples.

Minerals in the soil for instance I cannot see and are what I chose to base my research on as they have a significant effect on plant growth. As shown in the map to the left the hooded pitcher plant prefers the ecotone (an ecotone is the transitional area between two major ecosystems) between the dryer pine flatwoods and wetter scrub-shrub wetland.
*  I went more in depth about my field site in this previous post! :)

My Working Title:
Sarracenia minor: Effects of Soil Nutrient Content on Growth Habits

Official Scientific Question:
How does nutrient content vary between soil found in the root zone of Sarracenia minor to soil of similar type at a contrasting distance of 3ft.(0.91m) from Sarracenia minor?  

Kids in the car can
be a surprising
advantage.

My Materials include:

• Ten(10) quart sized plastic bags with a zipper seal
• A festive, if unorthodox, plastic cup which holds approximately two cups(480mL) of soil (originally I had planned to use a metal trowel; however, Dr. Woodall pointed out that since I'm testing for metals that may not be the best idea)
• Dr. Emmett's tape measure
• The IFAS Extension of the University of Florida will be conduction the soil tests looking for, K, Mg, Zn, Mn, Cu, NO₂-N, NO₃-N, pH and Loss-on-Ignition. (This test involves weighing a portion of the sample then strongly heating or igniting this portion until all organic components are burned away. What is left is weighed again giving us both the amount of material that is inorganic and the amount that was organic.)

My Procedure in a nutshell:

1. Use tape measure to measure 3 feet (0.91m) and place a flag. Also place  a flag at 6 inches (152.4mm).
2. Use hand to scoop dirt into plastic cup until contents reaches brim.
3. Empty cup into quart sized bag, remove as much air as possible, seal bag and place bag in backpack. Keep in shade as much as possible.
4. Store samples in refrigerator..
5. Prepare samples for shipping to IFAS Extension.

For more fun times and in depth information check out my previous blogs including:
More about nutrients! (plus a fun cat meme)
Cool pitcher plant facts! (plus a few cool pitcher plant cousins)
A bit about my love for pitcher plants. (Starting with a fun fact about myself)

Victoria-UR, "Does this sound Orca-ish?" (Dori)

Today, we fear anything we don't understand. It's common to see that the biggest fears in life are death, aliens, insects, heights, and SHARKS!! OH MY!!

Movie poster for "Jaws" (duh-nuh---duh-nuh--duh-nuh-duh-nuh)

The reason we fear sharks is due to the lack of information we have on these predatory, prehistoric fish. One of the major reasons is also due to the movie "Jaws", or other similar movies like "Deep Blue Sea" and "Sharknado". It is because of this fear that many scientists decided to study the "killers from the deep". It is also the same reason I enjoy studying them so much.



Because of people's fears of these unknown "beasts" I wanted to study them more and help spread the word on why they aren't as scary as most people believe. The whole purpose of this project is to:
Determine what shark species call our local waters home.

The left shark is a male, showing the claspers that hang
 down farther from the anal fin than those on the female shark on the right.

To do this, I am collecting data from anywhere along the beach and intercoastal waterway about the shark species found, as well as their length at the precaudal notch (the little notch before their tail fin), the fork length (the space where the tail fin splits between the top and bottom half), and the total length ( while the tail is in a relaxed position like it would be in the water). Also, if at all possible, I will get the weight of the shark if they are small enough to be weighed, since there are a lot of sharks out there bigger than a person. I will determine if the shark is male or female (found at the anal fins, if the shark is male, there are claspers, which are extensions of the fin that follow down a length of the body after the fin should have ended, which a female does not have). All of this information will be recorded including the date and location caught.


This data will be collected from different locations and will include outside sources if the information can be acquired from Marine Discovery Center, Marine Science Center, the Daytona State Fishing Club, Cape Canaveral, and local fishers. Most of the outside sources will have their own method of catching the sharks and I will record that data as it comes in. Other than that, the specimen I collect will be caught using a fishing rod with circle hooks, and most likely mullet or some other common bait fish. The measurements will be taken using a tape measurer and a fish scale (for weighing).

Although it is completely possible for the biggies on the bottom to "eat" you,
tiger sharks do not attack people as much when they are full grown, and bull sharks are
truly only aggressive when they feel threatened or are juveniles.

Thanks to the Discovery channel's Shark Week, we have been able to learn and understand more as a whole population, not just the people who live near the coast like we do here in Florida. The information we receive helps reduce our fears, which is why I am glad to work with the scary fish that nobody wants to come anywhere near unless behind the thick bulletproof acrylic glass of an aquarium.


If you are interested in sharks, there is a documentary called "Sharkwater" on YouTube that is about the declination of sharks. It is slightly graphic in showing some of the shark killings that humans do, but extremely insightful if you want to change the way we treat these amazing and extremely important animals.

Thank you for your curiosity,
Victoria

Samantha, CUR - We've been fenced off

Hello there ! Saturday, March 12, I received a message from Dr. Woodall saying, "We've been fenced off." As you can see from the picture below, Canal Street Canal, the site I have been monitoring, has in fact been "fenced off."

Picture taken by Dr. Woodall
March 12, 2016

 With this information I started to become curious as to what the reason the "fencing off" of the Canal Street Canal was for.  Wednesday, March 16, I was driving by when I spotted some men working within the grass area between Riverside Drive and the Canal. They seemed to be digging in that area several meters west of the canal.  Eager to know why this area was being fenced off I got out of my car, walked over to the working men and asked them what work they were doing (which looked to me as some sort of work within the piping underground) as well as if their work was effecting the culvert system directly below discharging into the Canal.  "We are updating  4x4 piping which is feeding the Brannon Center, a project that was completed in 1993.  This has nothing to do with the culvert system below," he replied.

Picture of the beginning of the canal, discharge point shown
in the lower right hand side, while piles of sediment are shown
(top left) that have been stirred up due to construction 

The Brannon center, is a community building located southeast of the canal (which according to google maps is 148 feet {45.1m} within distance of each other) and is currently being remodeled. Today I decided to take a look around the canal, specifically the fenced off area.  Using iMeasurer 6.3 part of Markelsoft, Inc (an application on my iPhone which measures walking distance between two locations using the GPS on my device), I was able to measure the length and width of the fenced off area as well as how much is fenced off of the Canal.  The Canal is ~ 128.75x9.00m, the "fenced" off covering 14.8m(East to West) in length of the Canal and the whole width of the canal (South to North) and goes on even further, with the "fence" being 46.30m in length.  When walking around the Canal today I noted that it was a pretty hot day, with 95% cloud coverage and noting a light rain for the first two minutes of being outside, next to the Canal.  According to Underground Weather (New Smyrna Beach{NSB}) there is an 80% chance of rain within the NSB area with a total of 31in precipitation within the next 24 hours.

The construction going on at the Brannon Center
on a slant downward with a storm drain at the bottom of the slant.
This storm drain is most likely within the Watershed discharging into the Canal Street Canal.

 With this being said, I have some concerns that although the project under construction is not effecting the culvert system specifically, the digging in the area (especially being so close) is stirring up the soil in the area, most likely releasing nutrients, which eventually may make it's way into the canal due to "runoff" caused from the expected rain.

To the right, start of one of the ditches dug within the
Canal area noting the flowers to the left
which are possibly grown with fertilizer
containing Nitrogen and Phosphate

 Although there is still a lot more work that would have to be done in order to determine the effects this construction may have on the water quality of this canal, I would like to measure the water quality possibly during this "fenced off" and compare it to my previous data(taken when no construction was disturbing the land within the canal area to see if there is a correlation between the two.

Works Cited 

• Markelsoft.com. (2008-2015). iMeasurer. Retrieved from https://launchkit.io/websites/wQBt16jsVbo/
• Weather Station ID: KFLNEWSM13 Station Name: Venetian Bay-Savona North. (2016). Forecast for New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Retrieved from https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KFLNEWSM13#history