Activity Objective: Students will be able to conduct biological sampling according to their sampling plan.

Estuary-Net Outcome Connection:

Students will understand water quality and the variables that contribute to water quality.

Students will understand the importance of gathering long-term accurate data; will learn how to display the data; and will learn methods of analyzing the data to determine relationships.

Students will understand their connection to and the importance of estuaries and the impact upland activities have on these systems.

Time Needed: Field trip.

Materials: As prescribed in sampling plan.

Procedure:

1. Recruit parent assistant to be at each sampling site with the site teams.
2. Assign roles to each student. It is recommended that teams of six be chosen for each 50' sampling site. Together these students will select the replicate sites within their sampling site (such as 3 high velocity and 3 low velocity sites for macroinvertebrate sampling). They can then work in sub-teams of three to collect the stream data; one with net or quadrant with an assistant and one with data sheets, buckets and marked sample jars. The data gatherer should be collecting habitat characteristics for each replicate site and drawing a sketch with replicate sample sites marked.
3. Use the field sheet for each sampling team (See sample field sheets at end of section) that will assure all necessary data will be gathered.
4. Create a step by step procedure sheet for field use for each sample set to be taken (See sample field data sheet). Make copies for each sampling team. If possible, laminate copies to protect against inclement weather and water splashes.
5. Review sampling procedures and create an equipment inventory for each sampling team (See sample equipment list at end of section) to check before going into the field.
6. Number each piece of equipment. Check calibrations of all equipment prior to fieldwork against known samples or one standardized piece of equipment. Note any variations from the standardization. This should be done for thermometers, hydrometers, etc.
7. Have each team prepare their field equipment, double-checking their inventory, marking their sample jars and self-check procedures.
8. Review field safety and field trip itinerary.
9. Go sample!
10. After teams have gathered back together, have each one recheck their inventory prior to returning to school. Make sure all sample jars are clearly marked and well secured.
11. Process samples in the field or at school following the procedures outlined in the lab sheets and complete the data sheets.

PART B: BIODIVERSITY ANALYSIS

1. Complete data table for each sample from each 50' site, using data sheets completed in Part A.
2. Create your own table.
3. Count the number of different species or orders found in all the samples. Determine the percent of samples in which that species or order was found.
4. Find total number of organisms per species.
5. Determine total number of organisms found. Identify which species is most prevalent.
6. This process can be repeated for each sample site by (subset the data table and variables noted).

Part 2:

1. Create metadata for each data table. The metadata should describe the data present in each dataset. Review metadata at the web site.
2. Send the metadata with your data to your watershed coordinator for review and approval.

Part 3:

1. Create a report about your findings and email to the listserve. FTP approved report to web site. Inform listserve that you have posted data and a report.
2. Go to web site and download reports and data from other sites in your region. Examine these reports and data.
3. Analyze reports for similarities and differences. Can you identify any pattern? Post ideas, comments or questions to listserve.
4. Continue analysis of data by doing those activities described for analysis of the water chemistry tests they performed in Q3 Water Chemistry, Part B. Compare water chemistry with System-wide Monitoring data by downloading data tables from the web site.

Procedure for analysis of Fecal Coliform:

Part 1:

1. Complete data table for water quality monitoring for all samples in all sites. Create your own data table or use the data table template provided with software.
2. Check data for inconsistencies in values for replicates or control samples.
3. Begin by identifying where the highest and lowest values for fecal coliform were found and hypothesize how the sites with high values related to each other. Justify your hypothesis. Then do the following analysis of the data to determine the accuracy of your predictions.
4. Note the range of values across all the sites.
5. Graph the fecal coliform counts for each site.
6. Determine any samples that have dangerous levels of this bacteria. How do the identified sample sites relate to each other?
7. Review sampling plan to identify the procedures that might be helpful to further verify this data and possibly identify its source.

Part 2:

1. Create metadata for each data table. The metadata should describe the data present in each dataset.
2. Send the metadata with your data to your watershed coordinator for review and approval.

Part 3:

1. Create a report about your findings and send to the listserve.
2. Review any other reports posted from collaborating sites. Examine reports for similarities and differences. Can you identify any patterns? Post comments to the listserve.
3. Continue to Activity Q3 Water Chemistry, Part B to analyze other data gathered during your sampling. Compare water chemistry with other NERR sites by downloading data from the System-wide Data Directory at the web site.

Procedure for Analysis for Chorophyll:

Part 1:

1. Complete data table for water quality monitoring for all samples in all sites. Create your own data table or use the data table template provided with the software.
2. Check data for inconsistencies in replicates.
3. If plankton tows were conducted, create a data table to tabulate your findings (you can use the macroinvertebrate table template as a model). Use the macroinvertebrate analysis procedures to answer the questions: How diverse is the plankton community in these samples? What are the dominant species? How does the plankton community vary across the sampling area?
4. Suggest a hypothesis that might answer the question: How do chlorophyll values vary across your sampling points, how do these variations relate biogeographically from point to point and is there any other relationship to another measured abiotic factor? Complete the following analysis of your data to determine the accuracy of your predictions.
5. Note the range of chlorophyll values within each site.
6. Create an average value for each site.
7. Note the range of the entire sampling area.
8. Graph the average chlorophyll value for each site within the sampling area.
9. Compare chlorophyll, water temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen.
10. Based on your data, characterize the biological diversity, the level of phytoplankton productivity and their relationship to abiotic factors in your sampling area.

Part 2.

1. Create metadata for each data table. The metadata should describe the data present in each dataset.
2. Send the metadata with your data to your watershed coordinator for review and approval.

Part 3:

1. Create a report about your findings and send to the listserve.
2. Review any data reports from collaborating sites. Examine reports for similarities and differences. Can you identify any patterns? Report them back to the listserve.
3. Continue analysis of data by doing those activities described for analysis of the water chemistry tests that they performed in Q3 Water Chemistry Part B. Compare water chemistry dates with that from other NERR sites by downloading data from the System-wide Data Directory at the web site.

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