2014 WATER QUALITYBC Marine Estuary KAREN LANCOUR National

2014 WATER QUALITY-(B&C) Marine & Estuary KAREN LANCOUR National Bio Rules Committee Chairman C. Robyn Fischer National Event Supervisor

Event Rules – 2014 DISCLAIMER This presentation was prepared using draft rules. There may be some changes in the final copy of the rules. The rules which will be in your Coaches Manual and Student Manuals will be the official rules.

Event Rules – 2014 • BE SURE TO CHECK THE 2014 EVENT RULES FOR EVENT PARAMETERS AND TOPICS FOR EACH COMPETITION LEVEL

TRAINING MATERIALS • • • Training Power Point – content overview Training Handout – content information Sample Tournament – sample problems with key Event Supervisor Guide – prep tips, setup needs, and scoring tips Internet Resources & Training Materials – on the Science Olympiad website at www. soinc. org under Event Information A Biology-Earth Science CD and a Water Quality CD (updated to include marine 2014) are available from SO store at www. soinc. org

Aquatic Ecosystems Freshwater Lotic ecosystems – flowing water Streams Rivers Lentic ecosystems – still water Ponds Lakes Wetlands Estuary ecosystems – 2014 Marine ecosystems – 2014 Coral Reef Ecology – 2014

EVENT COMPONENTS • Ecology Content – 2014 – Part 1 – Estuary and Marine Ecology – Part 2 – Coral Reef Ecology – Part 3 – Water Monitoring and Analysis • Process skills in data, graph and diagram analysis • Event parameters – check the event parameters in the rules for resources allowed.

Part 1: Estuary and Marine Ecology Areas such as: – Aquatic Ecology in Marine/Estuary Environments – Aquatic Food Chains and Webs – Population Dynamics – Community Interactions – Nutrient Recycling – Water Cycle – Threats to Marine & Estuary Water Quality

General Principles of Aquatic Ecology ECOLOGY – how organisms interact with one another and with their environment ENVIRONMENT – living and non-living components • ABIOTIC – non-living component or physical factors as soil, rainfall, sunlight, temperatures • BIOTIC – living component are other organisms.

Marine Ecology • Abiotic – Non-living part of the environment • Biotic – Living part of the environment – interdependence of all organisms living in the ocean, in shallow coastal waters, and on the seashore

Marine Abiotic Factors • • • • water salinity light pressure temperature dissolved gases p. H tides currents waves substratum nutrient supply exposure to air

Water Cycle 97 % of the water on earth is salt water in the ocean. Of the 3% of water that is fresh water, 2% is frozen in ice caps and only 1% is usable by organisms as liquid water or water vapor found in lakes, rivers, streams, ponds , in the ground water, and as vapor in the atmosphere

Unique Qualities of Pure Water The Unique Nature of Pure Water § Water is 775 times as dense as air at 0 o C § Water is found on earth in three forms – liquid, solid and gas § Density – maximum density is at 4 o C not at freeing point of 0 o C and expands as it freezes so ice floats § The H 20 molecule is polar and hydrogen bonding is present § Water is a polar molecule; one end is positively charged and the other is negatively charged § Cohesion of water molecules at the surface of a body of water (surface tension) is very high

Salt Water Features The oceans consist of (by mass): • 96. 5% water • 3. 0% sodium and chlorine ions (table salt, Na+ and Cl–) • 0. 5% other salts

Marine Environments

Marine Regions

Food Chain • • • Producer 1 st order Consumer or Herbivore 2 nd order Consumer or 1 st order Carnivore 3 rd order Consumer or 2 nd order Carnivore 4 th order Consumer or 3 rd order Carnivore Decomposers – consume dead and decaying matter as bacteria

Marine Food Web

Ecologic Pyramids Ecological pyramid - a graph representing trophic level numbers within an ecosystem. The primary producer level is at the base of the pyramid with the consumer levels above. • Numbers pyramid - compares the number of individuals in each trophic level. May be inverted due to size of individuals • Biomass pyramid - compares the total dry weight of the organisms in each trophic level. • Energy pyramid - compares the total amount of energy available in each trophic level. This energy is usually measured in kilocalories.

Trophic Pyramids-Marine The 10% rule for Energy Pyramids

Carbon, Nitrogen & Phosphorus Cycles

Threats to Marine Ecosystems • Oil spills and their ecological disasters • Marine dumping of wastes – plastic and other wastes • Dredging Wastes • Overfishing • Ocean acidification reducing calcium carbonate • Population displacement • Mangrove Destruction • Bycatch – marine wildlife unintentionally caught as sea turtles, porpoises, albatross, crabs, starfish & fish • Whaling is still a problem though strides are being make

Threats to Ocean Health • • Marine Pollution Habitat Destruction Overfishing and Exploitation Climate Change Sea Temperature Rise Ocean Acidification Invasive Species Ocean Dead Zones

Estuaries • The areas of water and shoreline where a freshwater stream or river merges with the ocean • Estuaries can be partially enclosed body of water (such as bays, lagoons, sounds or sloughs) where two different bodies of water meet and mix • They often bordered by salt marshes or intertidal mudflats • Salinity varies within the estuary from nearly fresh water to ocean water

Importance of Estuaries • Of the 32 largest cities in the world, 22 are located on estuaries • Many animal species rely on estuaries for nesting and breeding • Most of the fish and shellfish eaten in the United States, including salmon, herring, and oysters, complete at least part of their life cycles in estuaries • Estuaries filter out sediments and pollutants from rivers and streams before they flow into the ocean, providing cleaner waters for humans and marine life • Humans also rely on estuaries for recreation, jobs, and even our homes • Coastal development, introduction of invasive species, over fishing, dams, and global climate change have led to a decline in the health of estuaries, making them one of the most threatened ecosystems on Earth

Estuary Classification Estuaries can be classified according to their water circulation: The amount of circulation affects the salt distribution and salinity concentrations salt-wedge fjord slightly stratified vertically mixed freshwater

Common Estuary Habitats • oyster reefs • kelp forests • rocky and soft shorelines • submerged aquatic vegetation • coastal marshes • mangroves forests • deepwater swamps and riverine forests • mud flats • tidal streams • barrier beaches • salt marshes

Adaptation of Organisms – Physiological adaptations • How organisms adapt to the environment by changes in metabolism, behavior and other characteristics. – The genes of the organism remains unchanged – The adaptation is not passed onto its progeny – Evolutionary adaptations • Over generations, species adapt to the environment through natural selection. – Genetic differences of an individual organism that makes it better adapted to its environment are passed onto the organism’s progeny

Adaptations of Estuary Organisms Salinity, temperature, water levels and light levels vary along the length of an estuary • shutting up shells, digging borrows and excretion of excess salts • fish maintain water balance by actively drinking salt water • increasing their respiratory water flow and increase oxygen consumption • mechanisms to deal with high energy winds and waves • most efficient tree is low, with numerous crowded branches • the tree may include flattening of the trunk, root and branches in a plan parallel to the wind direction

Estuary Organisms & Survival

Estuary Food Web

Threats to Estuaries • • • Too many nutrients Pathogens Toxic chemicals Habitat loss Invasive Species Changes in water flow EPA

Point and Non-Point Pollution Sources • Pollutants pose a large threat to estuarine organisms • Pollutants are introduced into estuaries from either point sources or non-point sources. § Point sources are clearly defined, localized inputs such as pipes, industrial plants, sewer systems, oil spills from tankers, and aquaculture ventures. § Non-point sources are indistinct inputs that do not have a clearly defined source, such as runoff of petroleum products from roadways or pesticides from farmland. § A majority of pollutants find their way into estuaries from non-point sources § Non-point sources are harder to detect and control § Reduction of pollution requires substantial individual and collective efforts • The federal and state governments regulate them.

Estuary Preservation • Ensuring the health of our estuaries is vital to the survival of the plant and animal communities • To preserve our estuaries, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System was established to protect more than 1. 3 million acres of estuarine habitat for long-term research, monitoring, education, and stewardship throughout the coastal United States.

Part 2: Coral Reef Ecology • Examine coral reefs and the effects of pollution on reef ecosystems • Topics that may be included are § coral reef biology § growth and reproduction § zooxanthellae § reef fish communities § reef ecosystem § health indicators § the importance of coral reefs § problems associated with pollution § management of reef systems

Coral Polyp • Stony corals are the major reef architects. These small marine animals, (individual organisms are called polyps), produce a hard skeleton made of calcium carbonate, which they extract from the seawater and combine with CO 2 for limestone • Other reef building organisms include fire corals, blue & pipe corals, coralline algae, tropical reef worms

Coral Life Cycle • First stage of the coral’s life cycle is planula larvae, which allows it to be free swimming. • Second stage of its life is polyp which is when the coral is stuck to a rock. • In the polyp stage, it is able to reproduce, • either asexual - involves the splitting of a coral (called fission) or sprouting another coral from itself (called budding). • sexually (with another polyp) • involves a cycle of: • SPAWNING >> FERTILIZING >> PLANULAE LARVAE SETTLEMENT >> CLONING

Symbiosis Coral & Zooxanthellae • Coral Polyp provides a home for the zooxanthellae, it provides nitrates and phosphates, and it gives off CO 2 • Zooxanthellae, a dinoflagellate carries out photosynthesis and make oxygen and food for the polyp through photosynthesis, gain nutrients from the corals nitrogen and phosphorus wastes, and provide for most of the colors for the coral in the reef making them look like underwater gardens

Coral Reef Regions

Requirements for Reef Formation • Solid structure for the base with a hard substrate for attachment • Warm water temperatures > 20°C (68°F) and oceanic salinities • High Light Levels • Clear waters with high water transparency • Low nutrient waters - low in phosphate and nitrogen nutrients • Good water circulation with moderate wave action to disperse wastes and bring oxygen and plankton to the reef

Coral Reef Development

Zones of a Coral Biome • Shore or inner reef zone - area is between the crest and the shorelinefull of life including fishes, sea cucumbers, starfish, and anemones. • Crest reef zone - highest point of the reef and where the waves break over the reef. • Fore or outer reef zone - As the reef wall falls off, the waters get calmer. Around 30 feet deep, will be the most populated part of the reef along with lots of different types of coral species.

Coral Reef Organisms Coral reefs are inhabited by thousands of species including: • Algae • Sponges • Soft corals • Sea slugs • Urchins and star fish • Worms • Crabs and lobster • Snails • Clams, scallops, and barnacles • Fish • Sea turtles • Sharks and rays

Coral Reef Food Web

Coral Reef Fish Communities

Coral Reef Importance –Fishery and nursery areas (food) –Tourism, recreation –Potential medicines –Coastal protection

Coral Reef Health Indicators • Marine Apex Predators • Biomass • Average Catch Length • Coral Cover • Indicator Organisms

INDICATOR ORGANISMS • Reef Check http: //reefcheck. org/about_RC_Reef/publications/ Reef%20 Check%20 Report. pdf/RC_report_FINAL_2. pdf • Global Coral Reef Monitoring Networkhttp: //gcrmn. org/gcrmn-publication/status-of-coral -reefs-of-the-world-2008/ • http: //gcrmn. org/publication-category/status-ofcoral-reefs-of-the-world/

Healthy vs. Badly Damaged Reef

Coral Reef Threats • Chemical pollutants • Excess nutrients • Sedimentation • Coral bleaching • Coral diseases • Climate change and ocean acidification • Overfishing

Coral Reefs Threats

Healthy vs. Damaged Reef

Coral Reef Management • Fisheries regulation • Marine protected areas • Coastal zoning • The problem of ecosystem phase-shifts (how if corals die and area is taken over by algae, it achieves a new steady state and is very difficult for corals to recolonize)

Part 3: Water Monitoring • Understand interpret data related to testing procedures and purposes for water testing (No actual testing) • Build and demonstrate a salinometer capable of testing saltwater (1 -10%)

• • • Chemical Analysis Salinity - only actual testing with salinometer Temperature Aragonite Saturation - for marine esp. coral reefs p. H Turbidity – Light Saturation in marine environments Dissolved oxygen Biochemical oxygen demand Phosphates Nitrates Total solids Fecal Coliform Their relationship to one another – note: the Water Quality Index used for freshwater does not apply to marine. Regions have their own marine water quality index.

Salinomter – Hydrometer • Salinometers / Hydrometers • Hydrometer calibrated to read in % of salt concentration • Materials – § soda straw § modeling clay § a fine-tipped permanent marker § a tall clear container to hold the solution for calibrating your device § salt for mixing one or more standard solutions § water (tap water will work-distilled is better)

SALINOMETER TIPS • The narrow the diameter of the salinometer, the higher the water will rise – this make calibration easier. • Small plastic pipettes instead of the straw and clay work well. Hold the pipette upside down, cut the opening to make it wider and weight it putting sand into the bulb. Cover the opening with tape or clay so the sand won’t get when you calibrate it. • Measuring electronic conduction (the more salt the more electricity is conducted) is another possibility – just be sure that the device is made by the team