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SACRED HEART HIGH SCHOOL, LINCOLN HEIGHTS, CA, 1999-2000 |
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| Fourth Period | |
| GROUP 1
Cindy Carrillo
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Recent literature has suggested using the ocean as a sink for excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Group I is curious of possible effects of overpopulating the oceans with phyto-plankton. It has been suggested that the addition of iron would enhance algae growth, but are there other limiting factors such phosphates and nitrates? If so what would be the consequences of a population crash? What would happen to DO concentration during a massive decomposition of algae? Group #1 plans on collecting phytoplankton, and comparing their volumes with Occidental’s data. In addition, group #1 is going to attempt to crash phytoplankton populations in freshwater tanks by adjusting levels of certain elements to determine if DO is effected. |
| GROUP 2 (Specialists- Phylum Mollusca) Jessica Vasquez |
Are moon snails making a comeback? If not what is happening to the populations of their prey? Is this effecting the entire community? What is in the slime of a moon snail? Could it have antibiotic properties? Bet no one has ever checked! |
| GROUP 3
Veronica Govea
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Recently a new colony of harbor
seals have been sighted around the bend from Cabrillo beach. How many are
there? Why have the sea lions
been common to the Cabrillo/White point area and not the harbor
seals-especially in a colony? Since efforts have been made to replenish
the kelp beds, have new fish entered the area that are more appealing to
the harbor seal? Group #3 will be consulting with Group #5’s fish
findings, along with Oxy’s fish data.
Group #3 is also curious if there is a dominance hierarchy among the gulls that follow the boat. Among different species of birds? |
| Fifth Period | |
| Jackie Padilla (Phylum Cnidaria & Phylum Echinodermata specialist) | (Join group 6 in 6th period-fish counting group) |
| Virginia Delgadillo (Harbor & sea lion specialist, Bird specialist) | (Join group 3 in 4th period-marine mammal; bird study) |
| GROUP 4
Vanessa Bejarano
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Newsflash- Zooplankton with tumors were discovered in the Great Lakes. The aim of group #4 is to determine if the zooplankton in oceans are in the same kind of trouble. Group #4 will taking samples of zooplankton, video-taping the samples, & collecting samples to bring back to the laboratory for microscopic analysis. In addition, Group #4 plans on testing local freshwater ponds to determine if this might be a national concern. This group plans on being in contact with researchers in the midwest so that they will be one of the first to know if the scientists there have discovered what might have been or is the cause. This group will be consulting with the chemistry group. |
| GROUP 5
(Fish-counting)
Franchesca Quevedo |
Group #5 is particularly interested in tumors and deformities in the Dover sole. Is DDT still an apparent problem in the waters of White Point? Another Question that Group 5 has is why are cartilaginous fish primarily found only in shallower waters? What are they eating? |
| AP Biology Club/Independent Research | |
| GROUP 6
Marita Valdez
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Marita plans on studying the effects of ultraviolet light on phyto and or zoo-plankton. She will be collecting samples at the harbor and White Point locations. She will do volume studies when she returns to the laboratory and compare her results with those of Oxy’s. Following her baseline ocean study, Marita plans on setting up freshwater systems in the laboratory and exposing the plankton to different levels of light. |
| Chemistry | |
| GROUP 7
Mr. Stein |
The aim of the chemistry group is to test for inorganic pollutants, specifically heavy metals such as lead, at the White Point & Harbor locations. Detergents may also included in their study. The levels will be compared to EPA standards, and the biological implications of their findings will be discussed. |