Design and Development of an Underwater Scuba System in Quarter Master Harbor to Analyze the Effectiveness of Aeration in Plankton Germination Traps

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Design and Development of an Underwater Scuba
System in Quarter Master Harbor to Analyze the
Effectiveness ofAeration in Plankton Germination
Traps

• Meghan Gavin

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BACKGROUND

• Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB)
• Lifecycle

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INTRODUCTION

• Location
• Underwater Scuba System and Procedure
• Germination Traps

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PROBLEM

• To develop a method for capturing hypnocysts and
  if possible to determine whether aeration is a
  necessary component
• The non-aerated traps act as a control.

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HYPOTHESIS

• The underwater system will be effective in
  capturing newly excysted vegetative cells. There
  will be no distinction in the number of plankton
  captured by the aerated and non-aerated traps.

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METHODS

• Designing the Underwater Scuba System

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• Building the Germination Trap
• Basic Design
• Attachment Devices
• Aerated Traps
• Rubber Stopper

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• Placement of the Germination Traps

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• Retrieving the System and Traps

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• Preservation and Lab Analysis

Figure 21 Counting plankton in the laboratory
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• RESULTS

WEEK 4 June 7-8
Table 1-Analysis of the concentration of plankton
species/mL for each individual trap from week
four.
Trap Pseudo- nitzschia Noctiluca Chaetoceros Coscinodiscus Ciliated Protozoan Protoperidinium Total
1A 628 78 5 7 73 22 813
2A 772 216 8 9 44 65 1114
3A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4A 787 37 8 8 37 13 890
Total 2187 331 21 24 154 100 3857
Trap Pseudo-nitzschia Noctiluca Chaetoceros Coscinodiscus Ciliated Protozoan Protoperidinium Total
1B 196 103 1 27 88 7 422
2B 413 68 5 23 15 18 542
3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4B 271 36 5 19 2 4 337
Total 880 207 11 69 105 29 1908
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Week 5 June 12-13
Table 2-Analysis of the concentration of plankton
species/ mL for each individual trap from week
five.
Trap Pseudo-nitzschia Noctiluca Chaetoceros Coscinodiscus Ciliated Protozoan Protoperidinium Total
1A 83 230 1 9 67 119 509
2A 446 108 4 14 325 31 928
3A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4A 113 21 7 18 125 2 286
Total 642 359 12 41 517 152 1723
Trap Pseudo-nitzschia Noctiluca Chaetoceros Coscinodiscus Ciliated Protozoan Protoperidinium Total
1B 134 119 3 37 65 30 388
2B 148 175 6 32 45 26 432
3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4B 72 52 2 22 176 7 331
Total 354 346 11 91 286 63 1151
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Table 3- Displays the cumulative number of
plankton for all aerated or non-aerated traps
from both weeks of sampling.
  Pseudo-nitzschia Noctiluca Chaetoceros Coscinodiscus Ciliated Protozoan Protoperidinium Total
Week 4 A 2187 331 21 24 154 100 2817
Week 4 B 880 207 11 69 105 29 1301
Week 5 A 642 359 12 41 517 152 1723
Week 5 B 354 346 11 91 286 63 1151
Table 4- Conversion of table two into percentages
in order to compare how efficient the aerated
and non-aerated traps were at capturing
plankton.
  Pseudo-nitzschia Noctiluca Chaetoceros Coscinodiscus Ciliated Protozoan Protoperidinium Total
Week 4 A 78 12 1 1 5 4 100
Week 4 B 68 16 1 5 8 2 100
Week 5 A 37 21 1 2 30 9 100
Week 5 B 31 30 1 8 25 5 100
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Graph 1 Represents table two by showing the
numerical values of each species captured per
trap and week.
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Graph 2 Represents the third table as it shows
the percentage of each species caught per trap
and week. The graph allows the development of
hypotheses about their life cycle.
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Discussion

• Germination Traps
• Effectiveness of aeration
• Aids plankton motility
• Trends
• Plankton life cycles
• Underwater Scuba System
• Excystment Zone
• Divers must be experienced

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Conclusion

• By placing the traps in excystment zones using
  the scuba system and procedure, it can help
  determine whether an endogenous clock or
  environmental cues or both trigger harmful algal
  blooms. This knowledge will help save lives,
  money, and marine life.

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Acknowledgements

• Mr. Nilsen
• Mike McKenna and Kelsey Fahy
• Ruben, Kelly, and Lucas Cowell
• My family