Hannah Vu-Bennett (UR) - Dear OCE students

I received a couple of great questions from a few oceanography students that I decided to answer via blog post! I appreciate every question, suggestion, and critiques I have received or will eventually receive. Thank you in the meantime! 

Dear Jason sec. 102,

This is really cool! What does it mean that they have high porosity and permeability? 

When you are referring to porosity, you are describing the number of pores shown in an assortment of sediment. For example, well-rounded and large sediment tend to leave gaps in between them because the grains do not fit well together. Sediment with high porosity tend to be less compact. Permeability is the ability to pass through an object. For example, coffee is able to pass through a coffee filter because the coffee filter is permeable. 

As you can see the larger sediment  has a higher porosity due to the amount of pore space it has. On the right the pore space in minimal, making water or liquids more difficult to pass through!

Dear Sarah sec. 102,

What is salt water intrusion? If it's what I think it is, hasn't this always been a problem in Florida since we live near the ocean?





Salt water intrusion is when salt water leaches into a confined aquifer. The salt water damages and contaminates the aquifer. Once saltwater is leached into an aquifer, the process to reverse the saltwater intrusion is nearly impossible and highly expensive. Once an aquifer is damages, unfortunately, it can no longer be used. 

In some parts of Florida, saltwater encroachment is very common. Saltwater intrusion is caused by coastal urbanization and over pumping. Residents living on the coast are more likely to face saltwater intrusion as a problem as oppose to someone living inland. 

This is an example of over pumping which leads to saltwater encroachment.
Saltwater encroachment is another term for saltwater intrusion.

Dear Katie sec 101,

Would the testing be different if you also tested well water instead of just the aquifers? Also, is there a major difference between well water and city water?

An average aquifer can reach up to 1000 feet from the surface land. Testing well water is the closest someone in my position will get to in order to test aquifers, since well water directly taps into an aquifer. Well water and city water are two completely different water sources. Well water owners source their water from aquifers which runs through their own private filtration. City water is typically managed by the city through water treatment facilities. Residents with city water don't have as much of a responsibility when it comes to water care because city water is managed by the city. As oppose to well water owners, where they are responsible to test and maintain the health of their own water. 

An example of how deep a well runs below the surface.

Dear Jessy section 101,

Can you describe how water is gotten from an aquifer well? What does it look like and how does it work?

An aquifer is a vast underground layer of water bearing rock. An aquifers geological composition is highly permeable. Due to its porosity, water seeps through rock, filling this underground vacancy. An aquifers water source is replenished and recharged by rainfall. Water can also reach an aquifer through runoff from lakes, rivers, streams, etc. 

Michelle (UR) - This is why backup plans are developed...

After waiting patiently for over a month, I finally received the alginate powder. The first step was to mix the powder with distilled water, and determine the amounts needed for a nice gel-like consistency. I started with 1.0061g of alginate, and added 1mL of distilled water until the desired consistency was reached.

This was as close to 1 gram that I could get.

Adding 1mL of distilled water at a time.

 The best consistency turned out to be 3 mL of distilled water per 1g of  alginate. I pressed the gel flat on a dish, and placed it in a Fisher Scientific Isotemp Oven at 102°C for 5 minutes. This was done to stiffen the gel for testing. After drying, the gel measured 1.5µm. I covered a 30mL beaker with the alginate gel and attempted to pour 1mL of water through it. The water did not filter through the alginate, instead it pooled on the top. I decided to repeat the process using 5.0400g of powder and 15mL of distilled water, pressed to a thickness of 0.5mm and dried in the oven for 5 minutes. No water filtered through this thickness either, so I decided to try to dry it for an additional 5 minutes. Water still did not pass through. This gel was returned to the oven to dry for 21 hours and 50 minutes, while a 50mL beaker was lined with a mixture of 7.0139g alginate powder and 21mL distilled water and left to dry in the oven for 20 hours and 35 minutes. Both forms of alginate were shriveled to the point that they could not be tested as a filter. As no thickness was allowing water to pass through, I decided to move on to my backup plan, attempting to use alginate as truly disposable cups.

Alginate after 21 hours and 50 minutes in the Isotemp Oven.

Alginate after 20 hours and 35 minutes in the Isotemp Oven.

The final test was a mixture of 23.8460g of powder and 69mL distilled water, hand rolled into a ball and split in two. I used a rolling pin to roll each section to a thickness of 1µm. Each half was draped over an upside-down 30mL beaker, with one placed in the oven and the other allowed to air dry. Both were checked and inverted after 20 and 40 minutes. The gel in the oven peeled away from the beaker and broke after 40 minutes. The alginate left to air dry is being left alone for 7 days. Fingers crossed!

Emma asked: What is the financial feasibility for using alginate for these purposes? Is there anything that stands in the way of using it, if you are successful? What should we consider before this is a widespread filter or environmentally friendly disposable cups?

 Great question, Emma! Thanks! The powder from Carolina Biological was about $15 for 25g of powder. My tests were originally for a filter, and the total cost would have been comparable to other filters, which depend on the size needed. As for disposable cups, it will depend on whether or not my method works. I imagine future research could look into using the glaze that goes on pottery, to ensure no taste changes. Also, different amounts of powder would need to be tested, to see what consistency would work best for molding into the cups and utensils. I hope to have more information after the 7 day air drying process is finished.

Katie UR: Long time, No See

I would love to be writing that I have finally caught a shark and I have finally gotten a swab but the sad truth is I have not. But I am going to up date you guys on the last couple places I have gone to go shark fishing. I have been out three more times since the last three and each time we have had major hits and bites but not an actual shark.

Site 4

Location: Buena Vista Park NSB

Date:04/04/2018

Time in: 12:33pm
Time Out: 4:56pm
Compass:29'2'13 N 80'54'29 W
Temp: 76 Degrees
Condition: Super hot and Calm
Poles out:9 poles out with frozen Mullet on the hooks
Details: We didn’t have anything really happen here. We caught Greenbacks as bait and had a Jack Attack but that was about it. 

Site 5

Location: Ponce Inlet

Date:04/06/2018

Time in: 9:30am
Time Out: 12:56am
Compass:29.28'42 N 81.8'W
Temp: 72 degrees
Condition: Cool out and beautiful
Poles out:9 poles out with frozen Mullet on the hooks
Details: We caught 4 bluefish.

So as you can see it hasn’t been much happening yet so I thought I would ask the help of people who live locally in New Smyrna Beach and Ponce Inlet. I got in contact with a man by the name of Wayne. He does sessions with people who are dying to land a shark, AKA me. I called him and we talked about the project and he told me he would allow me to come to some of his sessions to get swabs from any shark that is caught during those times! He told me that he knows and is a 100% sure we will have a shark within the week! I am excited to see what we will catch and I will make sure I take tons of pictures of what we catch, which I hope is something.

Brain Kimball with a Nurse Shark

However I do have some pictures from family friends who have had better luck than me in catching sharks! Brian Kimball of Ormond Beach has been catching sharks off Sunglow Pier and I have gone out their twice but have not been as lucky enough to catch them, but we will keep trying! He has a cool thing where he can shoot his bait out of and it sends it further out then if you would've tried by yourself.

Brian Kimball with a Blacktip.

Brian Kimball's Bonnet Head he caught.

Corey James,another family friend, has also been winning big with catching the sharks. He has been in Sebastian Inlet catching these one though. I am debating on taking the drive to go there just to catch some sharks!

Corey James with his Blacktip

I got asked some questions by some of the Oceanography class so Im just going to answer some of the questions!

Jason from section 23 asked What do bacteria look like and how do you tell one tiny bacteria apart from another?

Bacteria can look like a lot of things but the one thing that makes it easier for us as people to decipher what it actually looks like that and that shape. Bacteria can be in shape of clumped circles( Coccus), rod shaped( bacillus), and lastly in a spiral shape(sprillum)     

The good thing about bacteria is that there isn't much to them. Even though the shape is how you can tell how a bacteria looks but you can also use the shape if the bacteria to classify it.

Bacteria Shapes

Tomorrow I will be posting my Dropsical for Bacteria: The Untold Story From a Sharks Mouth!

One found, many to go UR-Allie

   Introduction

     Marine life is suffering indisputably from the impacts of plastic pollution in our seas. More than eight million tons of plastic are abandoned in our oceans every year. Confusing and poisoning naturally curious animals like fish, who tend to nibble on plastic and sometimes get entangled. Resulting in mutations and harm of many species. Plastic is a man made material unable to naturally decompose or digest as part of the normal diet. Internal plastic accumulation is proven to lead to blockages that shut down the digestive tract and cause death. Plastic has a decay rate of about 400 years and each year we produce more and more of it. Studies held by a team of scientists from the University of Georgia, California, Santa Barbara and Sea Education Association conduct the first ever global analysis and current statistic on plastic. Researchers have discovered About half of the total amount of plastics manufactured from 1950 to 2015, have been produced in the last 13 years alone. This implies the pace of plastic production is only speeding up, even though most products are only used once before disposal. The researchers also discovered that by 2015, people had produced 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics, 6.3 billion tons of which had already become waste. Within the total waste, a mere 9 percent was recycled, 12 percent was incinerated and 79 percent resides in landfills or the natural environment- such as the ocean.

What is known about plastic ingestion by fish?

 •Waterways are polluted with harmful toxic non-biodegradable material and disrupts natural habitats.

•Plastic ingestion can cause internal damages such as ulcerations and partial blockages of digestive tract resulting in starvation and death. (Macklin, 2018)

•Ingestion is noticed in both predatory fish and filter-feeders. Predatory fish can mistake plastic for food while filter-feeders sometimes ingest them unintentionally while feeding. (Blastic, 2016)

What is unknown about local plastic ingestion by fish?

•Local studies of the microplastic ingestion by fish

•Studies on physical damage and excretion processes in the gastrointestinal tract of fish

•Clear differences in the amount of plastics ingested between pelagic and benthic fish

•A relationship between fish feeding habits/ diet and liability to consume plastics

Scientific Question-

•Are local fish species suffering from the impacts of microplastic consumption?

Materials

Using the microscope in the IMES lab to find plastics

• Latex gloves
• Measuring tape
• Fish ID guide
• Camera 
• Dissecting kit
• Petri dish
• Dissecting microscope

      

Process of dissection

Methods

•Collect/ receive dead fish.

•Measure and record fork length of fish, use fish ID to identify the species.

•Preserve remains to store at the laboratory.

General Fish anatomy

•Use the knife to cut horizontally along the abdomen of the fish’s stomach and remove the stomach and digestive tract.

•Use the dissecting utensils to cut and dissect the stomach and digestive track to examine for microplastics.

•If microplastic fibers are discovered, remove and place in petri dish to examine further only under the microscope.

•To test found substance for plastic material, heat up a metal and touch the fiber to observe the reaction. If the material shrivels up and melts, determine this to be a plastic.

44 cm Bluefish ready for dissecting

Results

One tiny microplastic fiber recovered

5 fish have been preserved and dissected under a microscope for microplastic fibers. One 44 cm Bluefish, two 39 cm Bluefish, one 40 cm Bluefish, and one 30 cm Pompano. The results are one piece (< 1’’ in length) microplastic fiber was located in the 44 cm Bluefish.

Graph expressing the plastic found in local fish

One microplastic found under the microscope

Out of five fish samples, one blue fish after further examination was positively identified to have contained one plastic microfiber (<1”) by the heat reaction test.

Yes, there are microplastics found in locally caught fish. Out of only 5 fish, one microplastic was found. In further research, possibly a trend amongst the accumulated data could be identified.

Works Cited:

oAmaral, Kimberly. “Plastics in Our Oceans.” Plastics in Our Oceans, science/B/people/kamaral/plasticsarticle www.whoi.edu/.html.

•Plastic ingestion by fish. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2018, from https://www.blastic.eu/knowledge-bank/impacts/plastic-ingestion/fish/

•What Do Fish Eat? The Answer Will Leave You Stupefied. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2018, from https://animalsake.com/what-do-fish-eat

•Cleaned up the Daytona Beach You Hippies! (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2018, from http://www.persimmonhollowbrewing.com/blog/2018/1/17/clean-up-the-daytona-beach-you-hippies

•When The Mermaids Cry: The Great Plastic Tide. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2018, from http://plastic-pollution.org/

•Macklin, Malorie. “Is It Really Worth the Convenience? 6 Ways Plastic Is Harming Animals, the Planet and Us.” One Green Planet, 23 Nov. 2017, www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/how-plastic-is-harming-animals-the-planet-and-us/.

•Lonne, Torben. “How Ocean Pollution Impacts Marine Life-and All of Us.” MarineSafe, 3 May 2016, www.marinesafe.org/blog/2016/04/18/how-ocean-pollution-impacts-marine-life-and-all-of-us/.

Hannah Vu-Bennett (UR) - Water quality testing practice!

Last week, my class had the opportunity to conduct a water quality survey at Tomoka State Park. We took four water samples throughout Tomoka River. As we took our samples, we performed water quality tests in-situ. We tested for salinity, pH, total phosphate, oxygen, turbidity, an depth. The majority of what we tested for was similar of what I would be testing once I have gathered my water samples. Participating in this lab was a great trial run for when I am ready to run test on my groundwater samples. In this lab, I was able to practice using the Hach HQ 11D which tested the pH levels of the water samples. I also able to use the Hach Colormeter for Total phosphate and the refractometer for salinity. For my IRP, the Hach Colormeter will be used to test for phosphate as well for nitrate levels. This lab has prepared me as I begin the testing of my water sample for my independent research project!

A small portion of Tomoka River, where our annual water quality survey was conducted!

Cynthia UR Surrounded

There are 11 pieces of plastic in this picture 6 opaque and 5 lavender

Some reading is required to qualify this new survey; terminology a plus, so that communication will be in the same language.  It’s more important than one might think, considering I was about to post some things here and need to amend some terms so they will translate correctly later to others making the same effort.  I will use the term trash, and of this I will concern myself with certain elements within. 

Man-made synthetics (ie) polymers (plastics) including nylon, and foams, polystyrene and polyurethane; and cigarette butts.

The bigger view detects orange and blue

I made a list of common polymers that will be found on our shores. In a complete list thousands would exist. Combinations from any of these are created all the time, and many are being tested as we speak. (This list is missing the large family of Teflon.)  I will not be testing for what type I have found, but this should give you an awareness to the source contaminants we are adding to the biology of this planet.

#1 PETE or PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) usually clear/ water and soda

#2 HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) Plastic typically opaque

#3  V or PVC (Vinyl) Plastic #3 is used to make food wrap, plumbing pipes,

and detergent bottles. Composition may still include phthalates, which are linked to ranging health issues; developmental problems to miscarriages.

Site 2 Day 2 Small Plastics 

#4 Low density polyethylene (LDPE) generally thinner more flexible. Nylon rope (LDPE chain branching). 

Can leach the endocrine disruptor nonylphenol (added to LDPE as a stabilizer), especially when exposed to sunlight.

#5    Polypropylene (PP) Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer. Mixed in many colors; used for food containers (ketchup, yogurt, cottage cheese, margarine, syrup, take-out), medicine containers, straws, bottle caps, Britta filters, Rubbermaid and other opaque plastic containers, including baby bottles.

#6    Polystyrene (PS) egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls, take-out food containers, packing peanuts, bike helmets.

Harder clear/opaque PS: disposable cutlery & razors, compact disc & dvd cases. Animal studies have shown adverse effects on genes, lungs, liver, and the immune system. 

#7 or #0   Polycarbonate (PC) is an extremely common plastic in this category and is often associated with this category. 

Keep in mind that polycarbonate is not the only plastic in this category and if a product has a number 7 on it without the letters PC under it, the product could be made of polycarbonate or it could other plastic.

Mama Mundo Inc. (2015). Life without plastic. Common plastics #1 to #7 Retrieved from https://www.lifewithoutplastic.com/store/common_plastics_no_1_to_no_7#.Wt0KKojwbIW

Box, Carolynn, of Five Gyres. (2017). Tracking California’s Trash Project

Testing Trash “Flux” Monitoring Methods  in Flowing Water Bodies. For BASMAA. Retrieved from https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5522e85be4b0b65a7c78ac96/t/58dd932f414fb5663b5a4f79/1490916184178/TCT+Creek+Monitoring+Report_FINAL.pdf

Karen (UR) > I'm Still Alive > Thanks Dr. Woodall !!

This is my second post for this week because I had a GIANT setback.  OK, maybe not giant but it sure made me have to re-think my project.

The LaMotte Nitrate/Phosphate test kit I am using only reads levels to 1.0ppm Nitrites or 4.4ppm Nitrates. 

Last week I brought the Nitrate level up to the 4.4ppm level without realizing that I had maxed out the level the test kit could read.

So yesterday, after realizing what had happened, I decided to keep the level at 4.4ppm Nitrate.  I have been testing the solution before I added any more (for transpiration/evaporation loss) just to satisfy my own curiosity. 

The new plan:  Monitoring weekly:
I will continue to keep the Nitrate level at 4.4ppm to see if it affects the duckweed while monitoring the level of Nitrate it uptakes.  The evaporation/transpiration loss has been consistent at 70ml for the control and 80ml for the plant dishes.

BIG Thanks to Dr. Woodall for the title of this post :-)

😊😊😊

Cynthia UR How Many Picking Parcels Did She Pick ?

New UR                                     04/18/2018

My first attempt at a new projected focused on Recycling in my area and whether I could obtain data from Jell Recycling which is who my area contracts with; However, after tracking them down and speaking at a reception level with the company no further contact was made with me after leaving my information. 

FINE !!! :(

Time still running out I began to pick up trash and I liked it !!!!

Method: 

I use a mechanical grasping device to retrieve only on that which is at least partially exposed; I never dig or sift, and only turn over Organic material piles using the fork at the end. The objects are then placed in an empty cat litter bucket that has a lid and handle with a liner that I can empty contents when I am finished onto a box for photo record, dated and then securely stored till sorting.

It takes about an hour to cover this stretch walking along as you would if you were mowing a lawn, a three foot wide march back and forth north to south and back again.

Locations:

The first site location is on the beach from the Harvard Drive access north to a stairwell at the 200 ft. mark. Then out to the shoreline water.

The second site location on the beach from the Harvard Drive access south to a stairwell at the 200 ft. mark. Then down to the shoreline water. 

Data: Quantitative

Having retrieved an assortment, I decided to create a daily assessment, and classification: Bar graphing for classification and Point Graph to monitor amount over time period.

I will divide by miscellaneous plastics, cigarette butts, straws and wrappers. I don’t believe weight individually is a problem but I will weight each days totals to see if this decreases with each collection.  

Site #1 Day One

Site #2 Day One

My New Investigation;

How much trash is on this stretch of Beach?

What influences (type of trash) is most prevalent to the naked eye?

For my research I have chosen two sites with recycle and trash bins present on both sides of access drive.

• ·         Between 9:45 am and 11:10 am each day I retrieve data.
• ·         Both sites are in Ormond Beach at the Atlantic Coast.
• ·         Both have “Drive on the Beach” access.
• ·         Both are cleaned by the County of Volusia and I am waiting for information on how often and when the last clean-up was performed.
• ·         Both are cleaned up by an Organization that I have contacted in order to thank them and to find out the last time they were at that location.
• ·         Both boundary parking lots and one boarders a bar and grill.
•     Each site is checked every other day

Am I picking on the bar and grill? I don’t think I am. After all, I do not control the trash at these sites, and have no investment in this outcome.

It is a quantitative study using objective measurements and numerical breakdown of data collected. It is however a possible variable.

Cynthia UR Th-The That’s all Folks!!!

Seems we just get started, and before you know it; comes the time we’ve got to say so long…

I was reluctant to say the least, about the idea of moving onto another subject after the effort preparing to identify the larva of crustaceans, copepods, and cnidarian at their various stages.  So I set up the new samples and connected the pumps but after a search in each hoping to locate something alive, and after a conversation of time remaining, I have decided to make replacement preparations for an alternate project.

I will no time soon forget gazing through the glass in amazement, and coming across valuable essential information that I will share in this final entry for the next investigator and hope for their success.

Zooplankton of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts: A Guide to Their Identification and ecology.  By William S. Johnson, Dennis M. Allen

https://books.google.com/books?id=A8iGP6acatgC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ViewAPI#v=onepage&q&f=false

High Bridge in Ormond Beach where I found the most life at high tides.

William Johnson also shared on his site the secret to slowing down the plankton species; its clove oil. Clove oil can be purchased at most any pharmacist over the counter, it’s an old toothache remedy. It apparently aestheticizes them temporarily.