Journals 2006/2007

Peggy Deichstetter
St. Edward High School, Elgin, IL

"Arctic Kelp Bed Study" July 16 - August 3, 2006

Journal Index: July 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23        24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 August 1 - 2 - 3 Additional Resources

July 25, 2006
Very Calculating

I spent the morning working with the data from our water sampling. First, I had to calculate the average light attenuation for surface, 2m, and 4m depths for the thirty sites we visited. I enter these calculations into an excel spreadsheet. Each site also needed the temperature, salinity, and pH for 2m, and 4m, along with the total depth of the water entered.

Computer data

This is the core of Ken's research. Does Total Suspended Solids or water turbidity affect light attenuation? Ken is measuring the light attenuation and the TSS. He will then be able to correlate the two with the amount of blade growth in the kelp, Laminaria solidungula. The full name for the project is "Long-term Monitoring of the Kelp Community in the Stefansson Sound Boulder patch: Detection of Change Related to Oil and Gas Development."

The sampling bottles are dry, so I organize them into numerical order and place them back in the ice chests for are next sampling trip.

Ken, Brenda, and Katrin were supposed to go diving today to collect more samples, but the weather is not cooperating. It's too windy to take the boat out. With the exception of Susan, who is still backlogged with invertebrates to classify, we are looking for things to do until the weather breaks.

Susan classifying