Cynthia UR Proposal

A study in Anthropogenic Effects on Florida Estuary Plankton in the South Atlantic Region

By Cynthia Sharp IMES Program OCE 2013

     q  Phytoplankton transform carbon dioxide during respiration releasing oxygen in the process.

 Half of earth’s oxygen is produced by photosynthesis by phytoplankton; our ocean marine plants estimated production as a whole is 70 to 80 percent.  Though at night this process uses some oxygen it is firmly believed that this process produces more oxygen then it uses while capturing large amounts of carbon.  By Biosequestration, the algae is now being considered for use as an organic biofuel.

     q Anthropogenic Activities effect nutrient and bacterial balances. 

Much is acknowledged as to effects of nutrient loading.  It produces algae blooms in rivers, lakes, estuaries and our shorelines.  The initial blooms and eutrophication that follow rob the life giving oxygen reserves, resulting in large scale kills of fish and other sea creatures that eventually wash ashore in great numbers. 

q  The potential change to marine plankton biodiversity, would intern impact all other organisms dependent on them.

The imbalance then too is created amongst creatures that once fed, or continue to feed on these coastal phytoplankton and those effected by the increase in bacteria both anaerobic on the seafloor, and by aerobic free swimmers.

This week I will include the species we expect, based on what is known to be in the estuaries.

Can we find differences at the microscopic plankton species level between the anthropogenic and natural pristine areas?

• Collect samples from both types of sites
• Identify microscopic organisms that occupy these samples                    .
• Document Classifications and variety of plankton                                              .
• Look for patterns between location types and species.

Observations for this study will be done at four sites

a)Halifax River -Ormond Beach

Haw Creek Preserve State Park

b) Halifax River -Daytona Beach

Near Mason Bridge

c) Indian River North -New Smyrna Beach

Near Causeway Bridge

d) Indian River -New Smyrna Beach

Canaveral National Seashore

The study will consist of four samples in four separate tanks at 5.7 Liters, or about 1.5 gal.

A soft source of current can be delivered by a pump. 

Products like “Top Fin” can be used as evaporation occurs.

A timer along with a sunlamp will provide source to continue the processes of photosynthesis. 

The samples will stay at room temperature other then what heat absorbed by sunlamp. (approximately 12hrs and 10 mins. Each day) 

• To identify microscopic organisms

•Record individuals to their locations according to sample

•Document differences if they exist

•Use bar graphs to illustrate and reveal patterns

•Possibly use plots to correlate similar results from samples. 

Monitor to discover and further research

•The Changes that take place

•What diversity deviations can we distinguish

•

•Distance or region effected by these changes

•Document over time to recognize spread

•

•Synergistic variation due to Season and environment

•Are the processes altered or increased

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Chad Macfie, Curator of live exhibits 

Marine Science Center  Daytona Beach, Florida

Pamela Hopkins, PhD Research Associate,

Florida Oceanographic Society  Stuart, Florida

Kirby, Richard. R. (2011) Ocean Drifters a secret world beneath the waves.  

Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books (U.S.) Inc.      

Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences /BiosScope

http://www.bios.edu

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) https://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/pmn/gallery.aspx

Jennifer Chu / Massachusetts Institute of technology (MIT) News July 20, 2015

http://news.mit.edu/2015/ocean-acidification-phytoplankton-0720  

On April 2, 2018 at 5:20 PM I got a question from

Jessy 102 section. What plankton species are known to live in our area?

I don't know much about this but sounds really cool!

Crustaceans ReaserchGat

Hi Jessy,

So, plankton, sizes up to 5mm down to only a few micrometers come in many forms; three types are Phytoplankton, Holoplankton and Miroplankton. Phytoplankton perform photosynthesis and unless I discover colonies, (diatoms and others form distinct groupings) these will often be too small to observe with my equipment. However Holoplankton spend their entire lives as plankton, most feeding on phytoplankton and the others Miroplankton spend only part of their lives as plankton on their way to becoming adult creatures of everything imaginable. Cnidarians and Ctenophores, phylum’s that include true jelly fish, sea anemones and pens, many with multiple stages; Crustaceans such as Copepods that have six stages and nine orders most of those parasitic; Amphipods and Euphausid (krill) I am still working on.  Mollusca larvae too could be present. It’s extensive because of Florida and my estuary choice of locations.

Florida’s unique position south along the Atlantic coast and upwards of the Caribbean warm water temperatures place it in prime upwelling zones bring nutrients to coastlines. As the Sea warms through the seasons these zones increase up north and the summer months in the tropics will actually see a decrease in plankton once nutrients are used. Florida resides alongside the Gulf Stream and nutrient rich all year long and 2018 is a La Nina year increasing the plankton activity. Thanks for asking, it will be an interesting exploration.

Lindsey, R. & Scott, M. NASA. (2010). What are phytoplankton? Earth Observatory. Retrieved from

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Phytoplankton/page1.php


Miss Veronica wrote....
Hello Cynthia! 
I'm Veronika Goncharova from OCE1001 section 301. I had a question about something you mentioned in your introduction. You said that "By Biosequestration, the algae is now being considered for use as an organic biofuel." What is biofuel? Can algae be used as an energy source because of how much there is of it? Would it be more useful to use algae from anthropogenic or natural pristine areas? Would this interfere with plankton producing oxygen? Please let me know!! 

04/10/2018

Hi Veronica,

Unlike fossil fuels, biofuels, (this includes ethanol’s derived from starch and sugars) are derived from living organisms. Algae’s tight community and ability to capture carbon (autotrophic producers) make it a harvestable carbon resource for consideration. 

According to the office of energy efficiency and renewable energy some algae produce oils they hope to harvest in the future.

https://www.energy.gov/eere/videos/energy-101-algae-fuel

As to the last part of your question I’m sure it’s a question that still needs to be answered. We use algae now creating an abundance treating waste waters, but have we discovered them all? Much of the microscopic world is yet to be revealed and cyanobacteria that are considered phytoplankton are assuming a place in the future as well. I will not be discovering this answer in my study but definitely worthy of consideration.