Watersheds

What is a watershed?

An area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins or streams. 

What lotic systems make up the watershed you live in?

I live in the Elm Fork watershed of the Trinity River. 

Why is it important to monitor the water quality of a water shed?
Monitoring the water quality of water sheds is beneficial to the environment. Monitoring the water includes making sure the water is not contaminated with toxins. Water from watersheds can end up in reservoirs where used for water resources. Those resources must be clean in order to maintain a healthy environment. 

What are benefits our community gets from watersheds?
Benefits provided by healthy watersheds include reduced vulnerability to invasive species, climate change, and future land use changes. Watersheds with natural land cover and soil resources provide carbon storage capabilities. They provide habitats for fish, amphibians, birds and insects. Aside from reduced costs of restoring impaired waters, there are many other economic benefits to conserving healthy watersheds. They preserve recreation activities such as fishing and water related recreation. 

Algae Search Lab

Observations

-We observed little daphnia swimming rapidly throughout the small amount of water we placed on our petri dish.

- We also observed a scud in the pond water.

- We noticed many larva traveling throughout the pond water, under the microscope.

- We found a snail which enjoyed moving around our petri dish when trying to take pictures. The snail left reminiscent from its slime as it traveled.

- The water appeared to have a blood worn which soon came into contact with the snail.

- In the pond water we also observed a baby snail whose shell had not yet been produced to its maturity.

- After setting the snails in our petri dish, they began to engage in sexual activity. 

- Two adult snails became attached while in effort to reproduce.

- The blood worm often moved rapidly throughout the petri dish, striking the snails on a regular basis.

- Our pond water observation lab was very successful. We found many daphnia, scuds, larva, snails and a blood worm.

   

When we added the snails to our tank, our mino did not do anything. Our mino has stayed in the corner of our tank since it first was set in there. Till this day our snails are still alive, and have attached themselves to the side of the tank.  

Freshwater Careers

Aquatic Botanists

Concerned with the fundamental studies on structure, function, dynamics and classification of plant-dominated aquatic communities. 

I chose the Botanists because i really do enjoy all the different types of plants and flowers there are in this world. 

 

Wildlife Biologist

Study behaviors of various water life animals.

I chose this career because of my love for marine animals. Marine animals vary in size, shape, color and uniqueness. It is a beautiful wonder to see how many different species of animals you can find in the marine wildlife. 

Restoration Workers

Design and build aquatic ecosystems.

I chose this career because i enjoy design and architecture. I love the different ways people come up with to design and operate aquatic ecosystems. 

Lakes

Oligotrophic, Mesotrophic, and Eutrophic Lakes

Oligotrophic

low in mineral nutrients, supports little life, and low in chlorophyll levels. 

Mesotrophic

moderate amount of nutrients, transition period from oligotrophic to eutrophic

 

Eutrophic 

green and turbid

highly productive, large populations, high levels of plant nutrients

high chlorophyll levels 

By understanding the type of lake one is studying, one can view the amount of plants, animals and nutrients in the water. 

Pond and River

10 Things I Learned From The Video

1. Rivers gave birth to our civilizations.

2. Henry Worton Stanley traveled years up the Nile River in order to research. 

3. Only plants with strong roots can survive in strong currents. 

4. All civilizations use fresh water for irrigation.

5. Rivers are used to carry rain water from higher to lower grounds.

6. 1/3 of the worlds fresh water is located in the amazon river.

7. No animal is more adapted to the pond then the amphibian.

8. Muddy banks alongside rivers are home to many burrowing mammals. 

9. Minos have a natural camouflage.

10. Ponds are very rich in nutrients. 

3 things in common

1. Both rivers and ponds belong to the lentic ecosystem. 

2. Scientists that study rivers or ponds are both known as limnologists. 

3. Physically and Chemically, ponds and rivers are very common.

3 things different

1. Rivers are more narrow, where as ponds are more likely rounded.

2. Rivers lead to bodies of water, where as a pond does not. 

3. Rivers are flowing water, where as ponds are still water. 

Fish Observations

Good scientific observations have no opinions and are detailed. 

Large Tank in the back of the classroom.
5 minutes of observation
- Many of the goldfish look to remain in packs near the surface of the water.
- The grey sucker fish constantly stays attached to the walls of the aquarium. 
- The grouper swims freely threw the tank, and does what it pleases.
- The black cat fish hovers on the rocks at the bottom of the tank. 
- The black white and orange fish is a very energetic fish. 
- The gravel in the aquarium tank consists of tan, brown, black and white rocks. 
- There is one plant which none of the fish like to swim by. 
- Many rocks in the tank provide the fish with places to hide and sleep. 
- The solid grey fish likes to stay put and not swim around to much.
- The goldfish swim in packs and like to pop their mouths out of the water on a regular basis.

Observations are very important to scientific inquiry. Why? Observations are important because they give off accurate information. Observations are clearly a statement of what your senses are telling you.  

Lentic System

Lentic System: standing waters

Lake

a large body of water surrounded by land

Pond

a fairly small body of still water

Playa Lake

Dry lakes are an ephemeral lakebed, generally extending to the shore, or a remnant of an endorheic lake

Swamp

an area of low-lying, uncultivated ground

Marsh

An area of low-lying land that is flooded in wet seasons or at high tide, and typically remains waterlogged at all times

Bog

wet muddy ground to soft too support heavy body.

Reservoir

a large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply

Density and Temperature Demonstration

Brian Adler and Alex Bell

During the demonstration we collected hot water and cold water.

Cold water was then colored blue, while the hot water was colored red. 

The concept of this demonstration was to see what water would rise to the top, and what water sunk to the bottom.

Alex placed the jar of hot water on top of the jar of cold water.

Brian then placed the jar of cold water on top of the jar of hot water.

When the jars were directly on top of each other, both separated by a piece of paper, Alex and Brian removed the paper. 

Cold water has a higher density then warm water. In that case, the cold water moved to the bottom, while the hot water remained at the top.

Alex's jar stayed the same because her hot water was already on top. Brian's jar on the other hand mixed together because the cold water was trying to get to the bottom, while the hot water was trying to rise.  

Aquarium Project

Aquarium Project

I. Purpose: To monitor an aquatic ecosystem over time through observations and data collection.

II. Materials:

        10 Gallon Tank

        Rocks

        Water

        Filter

        Light

        Shell/ Decorations

        1 Male Molly

        1 Pregnant Female Molly

        1 Female Molly

        Dechlorinator

        Bacterial Supplement

        Fish Food

        Net

        Plants

        Bubblier

        Cleaning Brush

III. Procedure:
        1. The first step to our aquarium project was locating partners.
        2. Next, I grouped up with Delaney and Alex Legg, which we then decided on which kind of fish we would take care of. 
        3. We decided we would take care of one pregnant female molly, one male molly, and a second non-pregnant female molly.
        4. The three of us were then assigned a 10 gallon fish tank. 
        5. To ensure that our fish had a healthy and stable place to live, we needed to thoroughly clean our fish tank. 
        6. To start we took out all of the rocks in our tank and set them aside in a bucket for further cleansing. 
        7. After, we then began to rinse our tank inside and out without soap. Soap contains toxins which are harmful to our fish.
        8. Making sure our tank was spotless, we dried it off and set it aside.
        9. Next, it was time to clean the rocks. 
        10. In order to make sure the rocks were extremely clean, we used a sifter to clear the dirt and sediment off the rocks. 
        11. Then we placed the rocks back into our tank, and began filling it up with water.
        12. When filling our tank with water, it began to increasingly become more cloudy. That was not a very good sign.
        13. At that point we had the understanding that we did not clean the rocks good enough, so we drained the water and started the process again. 
        14. Finally, our tank was extremely spotless, i'm talking Grammy award winning. 
        15. After our tank was about half way filled we connected a filter to it in order for our water to stay clean.
        16. Our tank is now ready to house 3 beautiful fish. Names being : Edward, Margo and Lucy ( the pregnant one). 
        17. Unfortunately after many attempts to sustain good nitrite and ammonia levels, we decided we would be better off housing a minnow named Marvin. 

IV. Data

        A. Qualitative

            1. We observed daphnia swimming rapidly throughout the small amount of water we placed on our petri dish.
            2. We observed a scud in the pond water.
            3. I noticed many larva traveling throughout the pond water, we saw this under the microscope.
            4. We found a snail which enjoyed moving around the petri dish when trying to get an accurate picture.
            5. The water appeared to have a blood worm which soon came into contact with the snail.
            6. In the pond water we also observed a baby snail whose shell had not yet been produced to maturity. 
            7. After setting the snails in our petri dish, they began to engage in sexual activity.
            8. Two adult snails became attached while in effort to reproduce. 
            9. Our pond water observation lab was very successful. We found daphnia, scuds, many larva, snails and a blood worm.
            10. The blood worm often moved rapidly throughout the petri dish, striking the snails on a regular basis. 
            11. To test our water quality, our group placed a mino in our tank to see if it could sustain life.
            12. We were not sure what the mino was up to, so when checking on it we could not find it anywhere. 
            13. The mino decided to launch itself into the rocks completely buried. After a couple of days the fish was still deep into the rocks. 
            14. Although the mino was hiding, at least it was alive and could sustain life. We now know that it is finally time to purchase fish for our aquarium. 
            15. In order to house fish safely in an aquarium, the ammonia level must be 2.0 or below. The ammonia level in our tank was at 3.0 the first day we tested it. 
            16. Because the ammonia level was too high, the rocks and decorations were cleaned, and ammonia block was dropped into the water. 
            17. The ammonia was at 2.5 when checked the next day. Half of the water in the tank was then changed. 
            18. The ammonia was at 2.0 when checked the following day, once again half of the water had to be changed. 
            19. The ammonia again was at 2.0 when checked the fourth time. A minnow was placed inside the tank. Ultimately we wish to house 3 dalmatian mollies. 
            20. The minnow was disoriented in its new surrounding and buried its head in the rocks. It was proclaimed to be dead. lol. 
            21. Our minnow Marvin is very shy. He does not like coming out of the back right-hand corner of the tank. 

        B. Quantitative: Water quality data and graph
            
        Chart A: AquaCheck

Date	Free Chlorine (ppm)	Total Chlorine (ppm)	Total Hardness (ppm)	Total Alkalinity (ppm)	pH
4/22	0 ppm	0 ppm	250 ppm	120 ppm	7.8

             Chart B: Water Quality 

Date	Temperature	pH	Conductivity	DO
5/20	23.58 C	7.44	70.1 uS/cm	N/A

Date	Temperature	pH	Conductivity	DO
5/21	23.43 C	7.38	69.9 uS/cm	N/A

Date	Temperature	pH	Conductivity	DO
5/22	23.45 C	7.42	70.0 uS/cm	N/A

Date	Temperature	pH	Conductivity	DO
5/23	24.60 C	7.59	81.0 uS/cm	N/A

Date	Temperature	pH	Conductivity	DO
5/24	24.13 C	7.52	71.0 uS/cm	N/A

             Chart C:  Nitrogen Cycle (5 pts)

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
4/8	2.0 ppm Poor	5.0   Awful	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
4/9	2.0 ppm  Poor	2.0 Poor	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
4/11	1.0 ppm Better	2.0 Poor	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
4/12	.50 ppm Average	2.0 Poor	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
4/26	0 ppm  Perfect	1.0 Fair	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
4/29	0.5 ppm average	1.0 Fair	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
4/30	0.5 ppm average	1.0 Fair	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
5/1	0.0 ppm perfect	1.0 Fair	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
5/2	0.5 ppm average	1.0 Fair	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
5/3	1.0 ppm poor	1.0 Fair	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
5/6	0.5 ppm average	1.0 Fair	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
5/7	0.0 ppm perfect	1.0 Fair	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
5/8	0.0 ppm perfect	1.0 Fair	N/A

Date	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
5/9	0.0 ppm perfect	1.0 Fair	N/A

LINE GRAPH:  Construct a line graph of the nitrogen cycle from the data collected above. 

Conclusion Questions

        1. Discuss each of the following water quality parameters and explain what it is and why it is important:

• ·         Ammonia- is the most common and harmful waste product in our aquarium. It is caused by fish waste and excess food. Ammonia is very harmful to the fish, leading to severe irritation of the skin and gills.  High levels of ammonia can result in the death of many fish. It is crucial to keep Ammonia levels extremely low, no need for our fish to die from something we can control.
• ·         Nitrite- is the second most toxic nitrogen compound after ammonia. Nitrite levels above 0.75 ppm can cause stress and greater than 5 ppm can be toxic. Similar to Ammonia, Nitrite should be kept low and under control. The fish in our tank can be greatly damaged by high Nitrite levels. 
• ·         Nitrate- is the least toxic of the nitrogen compounds. At increased Nitrate levels, this compound poses as a threat. Recent research has concluded that continuously high levels are a possible cause of stress to fish. It also majorly affects water quality by resulting in excessive algae growth.
• ·         Temperature- Fish are cold blooded and their bodies adjust to the outside temperature of the water in which they live.  In order for fish to stay healthy, it is important for fish to live in water temperatures which best reflect the environment they live. At lower temperatures, fish metabolism slows and the need for food is reduced. When water gets colder it is necessary to feed the fish less often. For the majority of tropical fish, a suitable range between 72 – 80⁰ F is acceptable.  
• ·         pH- is a term used to describe the degree of acidity or basicity of  a solution. It is measured on the 14 point where pH = 1 is strongly acid, pH = 7 is neutral, and pH = 14 is strongly basic. Fish living in a freshwater ecosystem are naturally found in an area of pH between 6.0 and 8.0. On the other hand, fish living in Saltwater ecosystems are said to be found in waters with pH levels ranging from 8.0 to 8.4. It is important to maintain water pH levels at a constant rate. 
• ·         Conductivity- Conductivity can be used as a measure of total dissolved solids. These solids are usually composed of the sulfate, bicarbonate, and chlorides of calcium, magnesium, and sodium. Conductivity is also the measure of salinity in water. The measurement detects chloride ions from the salt. Salinity affects the potential dissolved oxygen levels in the water. The greater the salinity, the lower the saturation point.
• ·         Dissolved Oxygen- is the measurement of gaseous oxygen dissolved in an aqueous solution. Oxygen gets into water by diffusion from the surrounding air, by aeration, and as a waste product of photosynthesis. Plants are a main source of the amount of oxygen found in the air and water. Fish in waters containing a lot of dissolved gases may suffer from "gas bubble disease"; however, this is a very rare sickness. Good water quality consists of a satisfactory amount of dissolved oxygen. Oxygen is a necessary element to all forms of life.
• ·         Hardness- is a measure of the quantity of certain metallic ions present in the water These metallic ions consist mainly of calcium and magnesium. Water hardness affects a fish’s ability to maintain the balance between internal body fluids and the external environment.
• ·         Alkalinity- also known as buffering capacity, indicates the total amount of buffers (pH stabilizing compounds) that are present in the water. Sufficient Alkalinity protects the environment from sudden changes in pH by absorbing excess acids or bases, which may be added to a solution. An accurate reading of pH can not be obtained without an adequate level of Alkalinity, above 120 ppm.
• ·         Chlorine- Important chemical property found in our aquatic ecosystem. Chlorine consists of many harmful bacteria which can decrease the stability of our fish tank. Tap water testing is crucial before adding to our fish tank because Chlorine can be extremely toxic to our fish.

       2. What is the nitrogen cycle and how does it apply to the sustainability aquarium? Include a picture with your explanation.
    
          The nitrogen cycle is a chain of biological reactions that produces chemical results. The Nitrogen cycle is what keeps the chemical balance in water at a sustainable level for plants and fish to survive. This is why we test our water often in our aquariums to make necessary adjustments by adding chlorine supplement.

       3. How has your water quality changed over time? Be specific, give examples.

          Throughout the weeks having obtained our aquarium, our water quality has drastically changed. At the beginning our water was awful, I mean no animal could sustain life for even a minute. Over time, we changed the water and added dechlorinator to try and help with the ammonia and nitrite levels. After changing our water about 6 times we finally had solid water quality. Our ammonia and nitrite levels were perfect, and now our aquatic ecosystem had the ability to raise fish. 

       4. Why is oxygen/carbon dioxide cycle important to the aquatic ecosystem? Explain how this relates to local ponds and creeks.

         Carbon dioxide and the oxygen cycle are key elements to the aquatic ecosystem. Without oxygen, fish would not be able to breath. Without carbon dioxide in the air, plants wouldn't have anything to turn into oxygen. This is why having plants in your aquarium are extremely important. They convert the not so good carbon dioxide into clean refreshing oxygen. In local ponds and creeks the situation is just alike. Without the plants and fish there would not even be an ecosystem. Through photosynthesis and the ability of fish to breath, loads of oxygen and carbon dioxide are used and converted each and every day. 

       5. What problems did you face when trying to keep the aquarium stable? How did you solve these problems?

         One recurring issue we faced when trying to keep a stable aquarium was the ability to keep our water clean and filtered. We had a filter and washed and scrubbed the rocks and decorations in our tank. We had no idea why this kept happening, so we decided to take a look at the filter itself. There was our problem, the filter pad was brown, broken, and flat out disgusting. After throwing out the old filter and replacing it with a bigger, newer one, we found that our water was much cleaner. 

       6. What 5 educational concepts did you learn through this project? 

          a. One thing i learned about during this project was how the nitrogen cycle works. I learned that it was equally important to have both fish and plants in our aquarium. 
          b. Also, after testing our water quality multiple times, I learned that maintaining nitrite and ammonia levels was key to a healthy living environment for our mino. 
          c. At the beginning of the project I learned a ton from the process of making sure our tank was clean and secure. Cleaning all of the rocks and decorations in our tank was vital to the fish. Cleaning often kills many toxins that linger on the rocks and decorations. These toxins can become extremely deadly to our fish. I was not planning on having any impact on Marvin's death any time soon. 
          d. Another important concept i learned from this project was the basic way to take care of a fish. I never have had a fish as a pet before, so this project was perfect for me. Although there are tons of things that have to be done in order to maintain that healthy environment, it was well worth it for baby Marvin. 
          e. Lastly, one important thing i learned about aquarium life was that you MUST de-chlorinate the water after changing it. Basically a huge epidemic struck my 3rd period class after one day of changing the water. No one remembered to add the de-chlorinator. With the absence of this vital substance everyone's fish pretty much died. Thankfully baby Marvin was in the clear (:

       7. What was the most interesting thing that happened during this project? The worst thing that happened? The weirdest thing?

          The most interesting thing that happened throughout our project was watching our mino try and adapt to its new environment. However hard we try to get Marvin the mino to leave his comfort zone, he just would not budge. The worst thing in this project was the constant downfall of our water quality. Before adding Marvin into our tank, our water quality would not change at all. Constantly each and every day we would test just to see our failing results. The weirdest thing about this project was our fish. Marvin was just flat out odd. He NEVER comes out of the corner of the tank. He hides below the plants and rarely makes an appearance for food.  

       8. What was your favorite part of this project? Why?

          My favorite thing about this project was being able to raise a fish. All the pets I have at home are a cat named Bob, and baby chocolate lab named Brandi. It was interesting to finally have an animal who was small and petite. Although it was extremely small, that didn't affect the work needed to take care of it. When i signed up for this class, taking care of a fish was something that i strongly looked forward to!

       9. What advice would you give next year's students about this project? How would you change this project to make it better?

   
           Advice I would give to next year's students would be that taking care of a fish and maintaining a healthy environment isn't as easy as it looks. You have to keep up with the cleanliness of your tank and also the nitrite and ammonia levels. Also I would let them know to constantly keep a good eye on your fish so it can stay alive. Something that would make this project better would be, obtaining our fish earlier in the year. Our water quality was terrible so it was hard for us to have a healthy environment for a fish to live in. Therefor it our group a long time to get a fish to live in our tank.