LESSON 1: ECOLOGY

Target Ages: Middle School     Purpose: Students will be introduced to the relationship between the environment and those that have to live in it. They will learn that we are responsible for our environment and will have to suffer the consequences of its neglect.     Length: 45 Minutes     Objectives: Scientific measurement of the biological and chemical makeup of the aquatic environment. What are the consequences if we allow that balance to be altered by outside influences?     Key Points: 1. Salinity 2. Oxygenation 3. Nutrient balance 4. Plankton examination 5. Pollution

Student Participation

Collection of water samples from different areas of the estuary. Testing of the samples for salinity, oxygen content, nutrient content, sedimentation levels, pollution levels. Microscopic examination of the samples for plankton, sediment, algae.

Materials Needed

1. Plankton nets 2. Sampling bottles 3. Microscopes, slides, eyedroppers. All quite fragile and expensive. 4. SECCHI disks. 5. Fishtanks for habitat demonstrations. Large and fragile. 6. Emulsion bottles with oil, water, confetti for demonstrating salt/fresh tidal mixing in estuaries. 7. Toy animals from Nature Company.

Station logistics and safety

Work must be carried out on the maindeck or on the dock prior to sailing for maximum safety when students are collecting samples for examination.

Starting points

Tasting samples of various salinities. Showing them a sample plankton net: What would you find if you towed this through the water and then examined the contents of the collection bottle? What would happen if you threw a dead flashlight battery into the stormdrain? What about not picking up after your dog when you walk him?

Procedures

1. Throw over plankton net to collect samples. 2. Collect salt water samples in collection bottles for later analysis. 3. Elicit speculation about the salinity at the beginning of the trip, off Gaspee Point, at the end of the trip. 4. If we lower SECCHI discs in the water what will happen. How deep will they be before you can no longer see them. 5. We will be testing for oxygen content of the water. Why should this be important? What might cause the oxygen level to raise or fall? How would that impact different organisms: 6. We will be testing for nutrient balance. How will that impact habitat?

Findings, Observations and Discussion

Salinity testing should demonstrate that the river becomes more salty as we travel seaward when allowance has been made for tidal variation.

Real-World Applications

This is scientific investigation, so this lesson should provide an introduction to all scientific fields and an introduction to real world problems.

Links to State Framework

This lesson may be linked to the RI Framework "Science Literacy for All Students (SLAS)". Students will be accessing, applying, interpreting, recording, evaluating and integrating information from a variety of sources and subject areas. (SLAS, p. 4). They will learn how all organisms are part of and depend on two main interconnected global food webs, ocean and land plants(SLAS, p3C-11); All living things are composed of cells (3C-25); in all environments, organisms with similar needs may compete with one another for resources (SLAS, p3C-39); Humans are part of the Earth's ecosystem. Human activity can alter the equilibrium in an ecosystem (SLAS, p3C-44)

Vocabulary

Aquaculture Aquifer Bioaccumulation Current Ecology Ecosystem Food web Habitat Pollution Salinity Sediment Sewage Toxin Wetlands Watershed