Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

Hello again! Today I will be doing a short blog post on my experience on the field trip my bio class and I went on to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve!

Picture courtesy of Mrs. Girard

The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach, California is a protected area that researchers, and the general public, are allowed to visit and walk around in to view the wildlife. As this was a service learning trip, my class collected data of certain areas of the reserve on what species of organisms are present in the tide pools and how many of each species (approximately) there are. This was done by taking grids to different points on the meter line (the white string) and counting the different organisms within that gridded area. This set up can be seen below.

Picture from Mrs. Girard

By participating in this field trip, I learned various things about the organisms and wild life in the reserve. First, that there are different tidal zones (low, medium and high) and, from high to low, there is increasing diversity in the organisms present. High zones have less organisms, while low zones have a wider variety of organisms, like starfish and other crustaceans. We also observed that many jellyfish like creatures were washed up on the beach. These creatures, Velella vellela wash up on beaches in large amounts during this time of year, due to currents. Finally, I learned that sea urchins stop functioning properly if taken out of the water for a long period of time, due to their hydrostatic skeleton.

Photo by Mrs. Girard

This information that we learned has also related to what we have learned this year in biology. In class, we have learned about all of the different classifications of the various organisms we saw and it was interesting to see how each organism differs in real life as opposed to a picture. We learned about similarities and differences that make each organism unique to their classification. We also learn that the environment plays a role in species survival and adaptations, and this can be seen in certain organisms that live in the high tidal zone. They have adapted to accommodate living without water for various hours each day, thus, adapting and changing to their conditions rather than dying off. As you can read, this field trip has many positive aspects, including learning more about new topics and expanding on old ones.

Photo by Mrs. Girard

Reflecting, it was a really enjoyable field that I will personally remember seeing a crab, almost falling into the water and hitting my head against Nicole’s head accidentally. I will also remember the service learning part of the field trip. It is nice knowing the things I did are going to help scientists learn more about that particular environment and it impacted me positively, but I wouldn’t say it completely changed my experience. The only thing I would change is more free time for exploring. I found that I enjoyed myself the most walking around and pointing out interesting organisms with my classmates. If you have not visited a marine reserve, such as Fitzgerald, I would highly recommend going as it is fun and you learn a lot.

 

I thought this field trip to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve was very fun, engaging, but also informative. I was able to see live marine organism up close, while also helping collect data, which is what science is all about. I definitely think this field trip should be done for future classes.

 

Thanks for reading my reflection on our field trip to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and make sure to check out my other blog posts!

 

Save the Bay: Post Trip Reflection

Hello again! Today I will be reflecting on my experience participating in Save the Bay volunteering for a school trip!

 

My AP biology class had the opportunity to work with Save the Bay as part of their restoration and DIRT project. We collected data, which included location salinity, pH levels, moisture content and physical attributes of soil of various plots in the Palo Alto marshlands. This field trip is considered to be citizen science. Below is a video giving an introduction to Save the Bay.

 

 

Citizen science is when data is collected and analyzed by the general public, usually as part of a collaborative project with scientists. Citizen science is important because it brings science and research to the community so they are more informed about scientific issues. By participating, citizens can do seemingly complex scientific research so scientists will have more data to analyze. As a citizen scientist, I believe we made a difference in how we view the environment as well as helping Save the Bay analyze dirt samples to make sure the dirt is healthy and life sustaining. I’m very happy I had the chance to participate in citizen science, as it allows normally people without a special degree to research and get their hands dirty.  Doing this research, I was able to learn some scientific facts that I would have otherwise not known.

 

Permission to use by: Mrs. Girard

 

 

I learned a lot on this trip and here are three scientific things I learned:

– Simpson’s Diversity Index. This is an equation that we used to measure the amount of plant diversity in each 1 meter by 1 meter plot. The values range from 0, with no diversity, to 1 with lots of diversity by taking in account the number of species and the number of each species.

– That the marshlands have many non-native plant species that take away nutrients from the native plants. Non-native plants include Alkali health, and pickle weed which have medical uses and can be even used as food.

-Salinity in the soil increases as it gets closer to the waters edge. This is due to being covered by water when the tides are high. This also means that the soil has a lot higher moisture content than soil not covered by water.

 

To find out some more facts about plants and animals at the marshlands, visit Virtual Marsh, run by the restoration team!

Permission to use by: Mrs. Girard

I also was able to make direct connections with what was learned on the field trip and what we are learning in biology. First, the moisture readings for four out of our five sites was at 0%, showing how little water there is in the soil. This connects to my biology class because in biology, we focused on FLOW, a documentary informing the public on the reality of water and its availability around the world (click here for a link to my opinion on FLOW). This documentary discusses the scarcity of water in various places and how we need to be aware of how much water is being used, and this is important for Californians right now because we are in such a severe drought. This severe drought is resulting in plants not getting enough water, and thus, dying. Along with this connection, we learned how certain plants (pickle weed) adapt to deal with the changing tides, because sometimes these plants are covered in water, while other times they are feet above water. These adaptations are caused by genetic mutations to survive and thrive. In biology we learned about evolution, which is how and why organisms adapt, and pickle weed is a perfect example of this. Along with learning more about science and biology, this trip created memories too!

 

Pickleweed
Permission to use by: Mrs. Girard

This field trip created a lot of little memories with my classmates, but the one that stood out was eating pickle weed. I never knew you could eat those plants, so when people started eating bits of pickleweed, I was surprised. However, after trying it, I realized the plant tastes pretty good. It had a unique, salty taste and I will never forget picking a wild plant and just eating it. That experience was really fun, along with many others, however there are some things I would change about the program.

 

Permission to use by: Mrs. Girard

I thought the research and investigations done were fun and will help the Bay, I, however, would have liked more interaction or information on the animals in the area, if possible. I’m very interested in animals, so I was slightly disappointed there wasn’t very much information regarding animals, however, I understand that the program was focused on dirt and plants. I also felt like we didn’t get to see much of the Bay itself, we saw the marshland we were working on, however I think it would be fun to take a quick hike to actually go to the edge of the Bay and be able to see it from a different angle then normal. Aside from these suggestions, it was a great experience!

 

Permission to use by: Mrs. Girard

 

I personally had a great time and I thought that the field trip was worth it. We got to experience real, scientific field work while also helping out the environment and helping preserve the Bay. Even though it was a bit chilly and windy, I really enjoyed myself working in nature, taking down data and doing so with my friends. I definitely think future classes should go because it was a great chance to do something different!

 

If you want to volunteer, visit http://www.savesfbay.org! Thanks for reading!

 

 

My Opinion on Do Now: Project-Based Learning

Hello again! Today I will be sharing my opinion on the KQED Do Now regarding Project-Based Learning.

 

Project-based learning is the idea that students research and discover the topics themselves. Students make conclusions on a topic on their own and there is an emphasis on teamwork and becoming more skilled in practical techniques such as research and problem solving. Lectures and traditional schooling techniques are kept to a minimum and the classes are a lot more hands on. Some schools have implemented this project-based strategy of teaching, but the majority of schools still use traditional note and lecture classes.

Picture found here: goo.gl/R4fl4M

 

Here’s a video that discusses project-based learning and the keys to its success:

 

I believe that project-based learning can really benefit students if done correctly. It provides opportunities for students to learn about the topic in their own way, discover the information in a unique way and look at real applications to topics that are normally simply talked about in textbooks. Information would be more memorable and the process of discovering the answer is emphasized. The process becomes another part that students learn, as well as the information for the class.

Picture found here: http://goo.gl/CeNfUx

I am in a class, AP Biology, that has taken on this approach of project-based learning. It is not completely project-based, however, we have done projects and researched topics on our own to help our understanding of the material. For example, I have a post, here, that was conducted individually as a research project to help us understand photosynthesis. The class is focused on labs and group work, rather than lectures and notes, and I think for that class it works with moderation. There should be a mix of project-based learning and lectures, as the material is complex.

Picture of a chromatography lab done in biology that we did to learn about the different pigments in plant leaves

There are many upsides to project-based learning in that the topics covered are gone further in depth, the work done is applicable to real life and communication and teamwork are key. However, I am concerned that it may not cover enough information, due to the fact states still give out standardized tests. Even though project-based learning is effective, in my experience, it takes longer to fully understand the topic, and this could hinder students who want to take AP tests or are required to take standardized tests. Because of this, I emphasize my point that project-based learning should be used in moderation and traditional methods should still be implemented so students can get a basis for the projects and get a feel for the information before they apply it.

Picture found here: http://goo.gl/SGZs5R

I think that my high school should implement project-based learning because of the many benefits and the lack of standardized testing that public schools often require. If project-based learning is approached and done correctly and with the students’ best interests in mind, I think it could be beneficial at my school and at many other schools that have the resources to make it work.

 

 

Here are some websites that have more information on project-based learning if you would like some more information about the movement:

1. Project Based Learning: BIE
2. New Tech Network
3. US News Article on PBL

Comment with your opinion on project-based learning and thank you for reading!

Introduction to the diets of Dolphins

Hello! This is my first blog post and I’d like to talk about my research I did this summer and how it got me excited for AP biology.

So this summer I was part of an internship at the UC Santa Cruz Long Marine Lab in the Mehta Lab. This internship allowed me to research and look at the diets of marine mammals in the family Delphinidae.

 

The research was conducted to gain more insight into what Delphinidae eat, because eventually the data will contribute to a marine mammal database that has information on diet and all other components of marine mammals’ lives. My mentor had done diet analysis for phocids, and decided that I could undertake the task for other marine mammals, and I chose to do Delphinidae.

 

I was the main researcher on this project, but I was mentored and guided by Sarah Kienle, and Rita Mehta, Chris Law and Vikram Baliga all gave me advice and helped me when needed.

Before I even started looking at diet information, I familiarized myself with Delphinidae and found that not just dolphins are in the family, but also whales such as Killer Whales, Pilot Whales and Right Whale Dolphins. Once I did this, I mined through databases and other works of literature to find all possible diet information on the 39 species of dolphins.

Picture found here

I took the data I found in literature and in papers and calculated the overall diet composition for each dolphin species using an equation. I am not sure if I am allowed to share this data publicly yet, so I’m not going to provide the exact results. However, I will give some basic information on my results. I found that overall, within Delphinidae, the major prey species is Actinopterygii, or ray-finned fishes. Cephalopoda, or squids, are also a large portion of dolphins’ diet. Each specific delphinid species has a different major prey species, however that would be a lot of information and detail for this brief overview.

Picture found here

I’m not going to go into more detail about the results, however, the results are complete and can lead to future studies relating to dietary data. The results will eventually be put up, on a database I believe, however I am not sure how soon or exactly where it will be.

 

The data collected from this project is valuable because it provides insight into what exactly Delphinidae are eating, that means we know what to feed them if they are in captivity and how fluctuations in fish and squid numbers will affect dolphins. Also, by knowing what they eat, we can also look at the morphology of Delphinidae and see how diet and morphology correlate. Finally, by learning what fish Delphinidae eat, scientists can see if the fish being consumed have high levels of mercury or other toxins and eventually see the chain reaction in the food chain. To learn more about dolphin diet and mercury, watch the video below!

 

 

I’m very happy that I got the opportunity to do this research and it really showed me what I’m interested in and what researching involves. I’m looking forward to more research opportunities and chances to work with marine mammals!

 

Pictures from:

The group picture I have permission from Chris Law to use