RE: Lake Norconian 12th Grade - 2020 SRS - 2020 SRS

Project Title: Lake Norconian
School Name(s): California GLOBE v-School
Teacher Name(s): Ren Garcia
Student Name(s): Cody Zanoria Garcia
Grade Level: Secondary School (grades 9-12, ages 14-18)
Project Description: Determining the Water Quality of Lake Norconian
Abstract: The question at hand is, “What makes the water at Lake Norconian healthy for the fish and birds it provides for?” My hypothesis to this is as follows: If the fish and birds on the lake are thriving, then the water’s dissolved oxygen levels should be between 4-15 mg/L. Also, the water’s pH level should be between 6.0 and 9.0, and the water temperature should be within 0 and 25 degrees Celsius. The research done at Lake Norconian was tested mostly once a week on weekends, testing the lake’s water temperature, dissolved oxygen levels, and pH levels. The data collected at the lake for the past few months support this hypothesis for the most part. All of the data collected fell under the desired water temperature, pH level, and dissolved oxygen level range, with the exception of a few outliers in the dissolved oxygen data. The data was collected through the protocols and methods given by the GLOBE program.
Protocols: Dissolved Oxygen, Water Temperature, pH
Language:  English
Presentation Poster: View Document
Report Page: Link

My name is Apryl and I am a Research Technician at the University of New Hampshire and a Graduate Student.  My student work is focused on extracting ebullition events (methane bubble events) from a temperate wetland via acoustic data in an effort to better understand how this transport pathway is contributing to the global methane budget.  The other projects I work with look at CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes from wetland and terrestrial systems.  We are interested in how climate and land use change affects the emission of trace gases from these systems to the atmosphere.

I like the layout you chose for your poster.  It is clear and easy to follow. The map inset shows a nice clear picture of the lake as well as providing some of the surrounding landscape.  This is important because lakes are impacted differently based on the landscapes that they are surrounded by. 

Were the pH, temperature and DO measurements only taken once per sample interval, or did you do replicates for each sample interval and average the results?  Do you happen to know if it is just one type of fish that inhabits this lake?

You mentioned that fish and wildlife are flourishing at the lake and that no dead fish have been observed in a while.  You also provided the range of DO that fish need to survive.  Perhaps don't include the all encompasing term of wildlife in your statements if your research hasn't yet investigated or supported that.

Overall I think you did a great job and would be interested to see how EC plays into the bigger picture of understanding the lake's water quality and how it may (or may not) affect overall fish survial rates.     

Hi Cody, 

My name is Clarice Perryman and I'm a graduate student at the University of New Hampshire. My research focuses on how microbes in northern wetlands that produce and consume methane, a very powerful greenhouse gas, will respond to a changing climate and therefore influence the future of methane emissions from these wetlands. I have also used DO measurements in my research so I appreciate your focus on them in this project. You can find out more about my research here if you are interested! 

I think your poster is very well designed and clearly highlights your key fiigures and results. It's great that you made measurements across different seasons, and good job discerning the cause of the drop in DO levels in November. One suggestion I have for future poster presentations is to try to make the axis text and data points on your figures bold and/or larger. This makes them easier to read, and is espeically important for if you are presenting in person where your audience may be some distance away from your poster. 

I'm curious about the nutrient levels in this lake, have you considered measuring nitrate or other nutrients using GLOBE protocols in the future? This could help you further your understanding of the water quality in Lake Norconian and other lakes in the area. 

Congrats on a wonderful presentation!