APES- Phytoplankton Lab Write-Up Title: Phytoplankton Growth and Nutrients Background: Nutrient fertilization happens when there

is too much nutrients coming into the ocean from fertilization or sewage. The runoff brings with it nutrients such as phosphates and nitrogen into the ocean. This is absorbs by phytoplankton and similar aquatic plants. Phytoplankton and similar aquatic plants are the basis of the food chain. With an excess amount of nitrogen and phosphates, the phytoplankton will create eutrophication or dead zone in the water. They will also not be able to create enough oxygen in the water, nor will they be able to support the groups above them in the food chain. Hypothesis: If nutrients and iron are added to phytoplankton, then those nutrients and iron will increase the growth of phytoplankton over a period of time. Brief Protocol: The independent variable was the nutrients added to the phytoplankton filled water. The dependent variable was the growth of the phytoplankton. The experiment was set up by using 100mL of filtered water, 5mL of phytoplankton culture, an Erlenmeyer flask, cotton ball, pipettes, Nitrate, Phosphate, and Iron nutrient solutions, microscopes and microscope slides, a spectrophotometer, and a light source. On the first day, my partner decided to have the phytoplankton solutions with the nutrients and iron. The other groups decided to monitor the control and nutrients solutions. We filled an Erlenmeyer flask with 100mL of filtered seawater, then added 600L of Nutrients and Iron solutions with 300L of phytoplankton. We then covered the flask with a cotton ball then let it rest underneath the light source inside the classrooms. For everyday we would measure the phytoplankton, we would use the spectrophotometer and microscope. When using the spectrophotometer, my partner would make sure the number said 100 so it would be calibrated. We removed the seawater from the

spectrophotometer and replaced it with the tube that was filled about halfway with the solution my partner and I were monitoring. We would get our readings for the percentage transmittance, and replaced the original tube of seawater back. For counting the amount of phytoplankton each day, my partner and I would gather the microscope slide, a pipette, and a piece of plastic cover for the slides. We would use the pipette to drop one drop onto the microscope slide. We then covered the area where the drop was, pressing the plastic cover slowly to make sure there would not be air bubbles. We put the slide underneath the microscope and adjusted the microscope until we were able to have a clear sight of the amount of phytoplankton in one square. After counting, we recorded the amount and cleaned the area. Data Table:

Day 1
Treatment: %T Phytoplankton Control + Nutrients +Nutrients & Iron 86 89 87

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5
Count 15 3 34

Count %T 3 0 7 88 95 96

Count %T 5 10 7 92 93 98

Count %T 6 4 12 101 93 97

Count %T 14 4 25 81 96 94

Day 6
Treatment: %T Phytoplankton Control + Nutrients +Nutrients & Iron 95 95 92

Day 7

Day 8
Count 6 11 67

Count %T 10 7 10 86 82 94

Count %T 24 5 27 92 88 88

Graph:

Conclusion: Make sure to include your original hypothesis and if you were correct or not- Why or why not? What did you learn about nutrients and their importance in ecosystems? What did you learn about phytoplankton? What did you learn about data collection/experimental design and why we must collect a large data set? Did everyone with your same parameters get the same results? Why or why not? What are the implications for your findings for further research on fertilizing the ocean? Discuss the PROS/CONS of Iron Fertilization. _______/ 20 Points My hypothesis was If nutrients and iron are added to phytoplankton, then those nutrients and iron will increase the growth of phytoplankton over a period of time. My hypothesis was proven correct according to the data table and the graph for the counts. From the graph, Day 1 only had 7 counts of phytoplankton. On Day 8, there was about 67 in one square. I learned that nutrients are needed in ecosystems. Nutrients can be the cause of a thriving ecosystem or the

opposite. I learned phytoplankton are one of the many crucial creatures on Earth. They help release oxygen into the air, feed the marine life we eat, and can store carbon dioxide away. They are the forests of the water, and cover most of the world. The phytoplankton help not only us, but the world as well. I learned that when data collecting, be very careful. One little mistake can create other mistakes, altering the data. My group did not receive the same results. I think the cause would be how each of our mini-groups collected data. Collecting a large data set helps the viewer see results in a better time frame. If the time period was much shorter, and there was only the control, the experiment would not be very effective to prove a hypothesis. This experiment implied fertilization is good until a certain limit. According to my graph, more nutrients floating with the phytoplankton creates an increase of the amount of phytoplankton. However, from reading articles and other research, more nutrients could create a toxic mistake that would cost the ecosystem. Iron and nutrient fertilization can cause eutrophication and dead zones in the waters. With less oxygen, there would be less fish and aquatic life in the waters. This affects us since we are dependent on the oceans and water. Although iron and nutrient fertilization has the promise of increase of production and population in phytoplankton, there is also the possibility of upsetting the balance of aquatic ecosystems. An upset balance in the waters would not be able to support the life above it.