U/W Ecology Project

[axmaniac]

Hey guys,

I have to do a biology project for school. There's an award, so I'd like to do a good job. I'm planning on doing some sort of an underwater ecology project, but I can't think of any good ideas. The only body of water that I dive regularly is a quarry. (Philadelphia Quarry, Philadelphia, Tennessee, if it helps) There are fish, but they're very skittish.

--Thanks
Grant

 

[driftwood]

The first thing that comes to mind would be to see if there is a difference in water quality at different depths and locations. I would focus on the nutrient levels to see if one part of the quarry has an advantage in producing a base for the food chain and why.

 

[axmaniac]

Sounds great! Could you help me out with the structure of freshwater ecosystem? We haven't really studied it. Any other suggestions would be much appreciated, thanks!

 

[driftwood]

I just do the collecting of samples for the graduate and doctoral candidates at the university. Get with your teacher and find out what tests you can run in your lab. Then set specific points in the quarry for testing. If there is a large spring, put that one down as a test site. If there is a good stand of plants that is different, choose that one as well. You will need to mark them (a cork fishing float works great. Once you have 5-10 spots, then take a water sample regularly, call it once a week. Put all of that in a database and see where the data takes you.

I will be diving tomorrow with a retired biology teacher and see what ideas he has.