Algae

Anabaena has a pig pen odor and signals poor water quality. It is toxic to both animals and humans and has been associated with skin rashes.

Volvox is a colony of 500 or more cells. It has a fishy odor and two flagella that are produced by daughter cells.

Staurastrum has a grassy odor, as well as spiked projectiles that help it float.

One of the things I've learned about algae this week is that it can be used to determine water quality. For example, clean water has a low population of algae and high diversity, whereas heavily polluted water has a high population of water with low diversity. Specific types of algae can provide clues on water quality as well. Batrachospermum, for example, lives in cold water with low levels of organic material and is an indicator of clean water. 

Microscope

In order to focus on an item in high power, you must start with the scanning objective and then transition from low to high. For the scanning and low objectives, you can use the fine and coarse adjustment knobs as needed, but when focusing on an item in high power, use the fine adjustment knob only; the coarse adjustment knob can cause scratching.

To make a wet mount, place the specimen on the middle of the slide, making sure it isn't too thick to be observed. Then, place one drop of water onto the specimen and place the cover slip at a 45 degree angle with one edge touching the water drop, gently letting it go.

To stain a specimen, you must first prepare it using the same procedure as a wet mount. Then, place one drop of dye on the edge of the cover slip. Place the edge of a paper towel on the opposite of the cover slip; it will draw the water from under the cover slip and pull the dye onto the specimen.

Though this was not my first time using a microscope, it was definitely helpful to have an opportunity to review. I did not remember every single detail about microscopes since I have not used them frequently in a while, but the microscope lab helped refresh my memory.

Amphibian Facts

1. Most amphibians are toads and frogs.

2. There are between 5,000 and 6,000 species of known amphibians.

3. Amphibians have delicate, permeable skin.

4. The largest amphibian is the Chinese giant salamander.

5. Amphibians were the first four-limbed vertebrates.

Amphibians are so reliant on water because even after they are able to move onto land, they have water-permeable skin that requires water in order to keep them living. Therefore, they cannot venture far from the water. Amphibians are an important consideration when assessing water quality because an amphibian's interactions with the water can provide clues on the condition of the water (such as whether it is polluted or clean).

Aquarium Update: Benson's Field Trip

Due to the fact that I am a proud fish mama and that Benson may have a mild case of separation anxiety, I decided to take him home with me over the weekend following Friday, 4/19. I was overjoyed to be able to take my fish baby to his future place of residence. I poured out a great deal of his water to reduce the risk of spilling water everywhere. However, water kept sloshing around inside of his tank. I tried to walk as slowly and steadily as I could, but the movement of the water inside of the tank was inevitable. Benson was noticeably uneasy at first and kept swimming frantically from side to side, but he ended up calming down a bit once he got used to it. 

The bus ride home was pretty bumpy. I did my best to secure him, but I did end up with some water on my pants by the end of the ride. During the ride, Benson stayed as close to me as possible and stared at me most of the time; by now it is more than obvious that he takes comfort in receiving affection and attention. Once I started to get off the bus, my bus driver, the sassmaster, who somehow hadn't noticed that I was carrying a fish tank when I got on the bus, yelled at me for having Benson with me. Apparently, it is illegal to have fish on the bus, though I have the feeling she just didn't get hugged enough as a child. Regardless of whatever traumatic past the bus driver may have experienced, I ended up having to arrange for a ride on Monday morning. The transportation issue was kind of a hassle, but I enjoyed being able to spend more time observing Benson over the weekend. 

By the time I set Benson's tank down inside of my house, his "furniture" and plants had been knocked around, so I rearranged everything to keep my family from judging me and to make him as comfortable as possible. He was very excited to meet everyone. Whenever I approached his tank with a new family member (parents, three siblings, three cats, and two dogs), he rushed to the front of the tank and swam excitedly from left to right, looking at me and then swimming as closely as possible to the family member(s) to stare at them. My parents' initial reaction when they first saw the tank was to change the water, but I did not bring dechlorinator, so I had to dramatically jump in front of my tank in slow motion to prevent them from doing so. After I saved his life, you'd think he'd want to repay me by showing off his cool tricks and NOT make me seem like a chump, but instead, when I stuck my finger into the water for him to follow, he stared blankly at it. But fortunately, after a couple seconds of being the little tease that he sometimes is, he ended up chasing my finger and doing his cute little happy dance under the watchful and amazed eyes of my family. In addition to winning the hearts of my family, he seems to share my love for cats (he fluttered to the front of the tank every time I approached him with one of my fur-babies), which fortunately made no attempts to eat him over the duration of the weekend.

Harley, Benson's "brother"

In class on Monday, I decided that even though my water was not in terrible condition, I should change it since I had to pour most of it out on Friday. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after I had already thoroughly cleaned all of the gravel that I realized that I was disturbing the bacterial ecosystem in his tank. I ended up having to add more bacterial supplement to his water in order to make up for the mistake I had made.

On the bright side, the ammonia and nitrate levels dropped back down to 0 ppm, and Benson was clearly happy to be in cleaner water. After being placed back into his "renovated" home, he swam with a great deal of energy all around the tank. I am at least happy that he was appreciative of his clean tank, and next time I'll know not to mess with the gravel.

Watersheds

A watershed is any area in which water flows through on its way to a stream, river, lake, or ocean. Benefits of watersheds include uses for recreation, consumption, transportation, industry, natural resource extraction, agriculture, commercial development, and housing development. We live in the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. In Texas, 65% of the water from watersheds is used by the cities and for industries, and 35% is used for irrigation. It is important to monitor the quality of our local watershed in order to insure that cities are being provided with clean water that is safe from consumption and other uses.

West Indian Manatee

Name: West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)

Physical and Behavioral Description: Though West Indian Manatees are large animals, they lack a thick layer of insulating body fat and have an extremely low metabolic rate. However, they are surprisingly agile in the water. They are not territorial and do not have a complex avoidance behavior since they have evolved in areas without natural predators. Manatees mostly eat plants, but they also eat small fish and invertebrates. They also eat other manatees' feces in order to gain information about reproductive status or dominance. Their behavior suggests that they rely on pheromonal communication to sense chemical indicators such as estrogen to aid in reproduction.

Primary Freshwater Habit: Shallow rivers and estuaries 

Diet: Manatees feed on about 60 plant species, including sea grasses, which are their primary food source. But, as aforementioned, there's also fish, invertebrates, and manatee poop.

Major Threats: Most manatee casualties result from thermal shock due to cold temperatures, which can cause their digestive tracts to shut down, and collisions with boats. Illegal poaching and red tide are also contributing threats.

I chose to research this organism because manatees are so dang adorable! I was already drawn in by their cuteness and gentle demeanor, but I wanted to learn more in depth about their behavior.

My Aquarium: Playing with Benson

After doing all of the research I conducted on bettas, I have been attempting to interact with Benson in order to confirm the information I found online, along with my own observations. One game I have been playing with him every day is the "chase Caitlin's finger and nip at it like a hunk of meat" game. The first time I began to trace my finger along the top of the water, Benson seemed a bit confused, but within seconds, he began chasing it. Though he does nip at it sometimes, it does not hurt at all; it actually kind of tickles. After the first time I played with him, he did his happy dance, swimming rapidly left to right and in circles enthusiastically. I have recorded some videos of the little dancer in action, but apparently my computer hates fish videos and wants to be difficult, so here's a blurry picture of Benson instead.

On 4/17, he was napping when I first approached him, but after I told him in a "baby voice" that I was there to see him, he woke up and started dancing and swimming about. This could have been a coincidence since I am not sure if bettas really have a sense of hearing, but it was cute nonetheless, and his activeness assures me that he is healthy and happy.

The quality of his water has dropped a bit. Nitrate levels rose to about 20 ppm, and ammonia levels rose to an estimated .13 ppm. This could be due in part to using a thermometer or other instrument that had been previously used in dirtier water, but the increased level of nitrate was pretty predictable. Though the water is not in perfect condition, it is not severe, and Benson still seems as lively as ever.

Pond Organisms

When our group observed a sample of pond water, we spotted different types of little bugs and larvae. One type of larva is mayfly larvae. Mayfly larvae are fully aquatic and do not breathe with lungs; they have special gill-like structures connected to the trachea.

We also saw some snails. Snails are scavengers and eat organic matter and leftover food.

We noticed some tiny little shrimp-like organisms called scuds. Though they can swim, they spend most of their time clinging to substrates and wedging themselves into tight spaces. I put quite a few scuds into Benson's tank so he could eat them, but apparently, getting eaten was not on most of their agendas; they swam as quickly as they could to the plants or to the gravel at the bottom of the tank. However, Benson did manage to spot and catch one of them before it swam away. Though the scud presumably did not enjoy this, Benson was visibly pleased and did his cute little "happy dance".

Freshwater Careers

Wildlife ecologists study the relationship between animals and their ecosystems. They are important because the study of the interactions between animals and ecological systems makes us aware of the affects of the environment on wildlife.

Photographers take pictures that are needed for magazines, books, brochures  and presentations. Photographers are necessary because they allow us to be able to view aquatic life when we are unable to see it in person.

Writers are needed for magazines, textbooks, newspapers, newsletters, and scripts for movies, television and videos that provide information on freshwater ecology.

Oligotrophic, Mesotrophic, and Eutrophic Lakes

Ecological succession is the observable change in an ecological community over time. Oligotrophic, mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes can reveal approximately how old a lake is and how it has changed with the passage of time.

Oligotrophic lakes are the youngest lakes. They have clear water with little nutrients, few animals, and sparse vegetation.

Mesotrophic are middle-aged. They have a moderate amount of nutrients and vegetation, as well as a diverse and increasing animal population.

Eutrophic lakes are the oldest and illustrate advanced stages of ecological succession. They have cloudy, muddy water with high amounts of plants, animals,and nutrients.

It is important to know these terms in the study of freshwater ecology because ecological communities change as time progresses. My aquarium, with a single fish, clear water, and a couple of plants, is oligotrophic. Lewisville Lake, on the other hand, is eutrophic because it is dense with plants, animals, and nutrients.

  

Freshwater Ecology

Freshwater ecology is the study of the interaction between freshwater organisms and environments. It is important to study freshwater ecosystems in order to understand the life they support and how they are impacted by humans.

A pond is an idle body of water in which sunlight directly hits the bottom. Ponds are lentic, which means they are standing. Ponds are relatively calm and support generations of wildlife.

Rivers are not as tranquil as ponds since they are lotic, which means they are running. Rivers do not support as much life as ponds, but they are more oxygenated. 

Water Issues Presentations

Though I discovered a lot of information from my own project, I learned some interesting facts from the other presentations as well. One of the presentations I really liked was the one on Highland Village pollution done by Joe, Victoria, and Megan. In addition to being humorous, their presentation made me aware of how the chemicals used to clean the bathroom drain into the water and pollute it. I enjoyed Dani and Alan's presentation as well because it was professional, concise, and easy to understand since they clearly knew what they were talking about. They provided background on dams, as well as their benefits and consequences. For example, dams provide flood control, but they also starve some organisms by holding back the debris they eat.

From the presentations, I also learned that zebra mussels are an invasive species taking over freshwater ecosystems, Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest dam, and global warming leads to rapid movement of water from the atmosphere.

How My Aquarium is Progressing So Far

So far, my aquarium is in great shape. The first time I tested my water, I had 0 ppm of ammonia and 0 ppm of nitrate. I pleased to see that my water was in perfect condition. However, the level of nitrate had gone up to almost 10 ppm the second time I tested the water quality (a week later), but there were still no traces of ammonia, and the overall water condition was fair enough for me to feel confident that Benson is safe.

In addition to maintaining a secure freshwater ecosystem, I have discovered just how remarkable Benson truly is. Within the past couple of weeks in which I have been observing him, I have been amazed by his intelligence and attentiveness. For example, he seems to recognize me. The moment I walk towards his tank, he zips to the front of the tank and starts flitting around and dancing excitedly, swimming from left to right and in circles. When I open up the little hatch at the top of his tank to feed him, he zooms to the top of the tank as if he is aware that when I am opening the tank, it means I am going to feed him. I find it endearing how he always rushes to the front of the tank and does a little happy dance whenever he sees me. Usually, after I feed him and continue to observe him, he alternates between swimming from left to right at the front of the tank and stopping to stare and wave at me. Not only does he seem to love attention, but he seems as eager to observe me as I am to observe him. In addition, he is quite curious. For example, whenever I was testing the temperature of his water today, he rushed to the thermometer and stared at it for a long time until I moved it out of the way. I have been so astounded by how intelligent and affectionate Benson seems that I decided to do some research on the behavior of bettas.

It turns out that I was not delusional for sensing that Benson actually recognizes me. According to my research, I found that bettas are actually quite mentally and socially advanced, more so than most people realize. Bettas have excellent memories. As a result, they are able to recognize and form a relationship with their primary caregiver; they even express their gratitude in ways such as doing a little happy dance like Benson. Not only are they able to recognize familiar people and situations, but they also recognize a change in their environment. Bettas enjoy being mentally stimulated, so it is good to change things up every now and then by switching out and rearranging the decorations in their tank. They also enjoy games such as chasing after a stick/finger in the water and can even be taught tricks such as learning to jump for food. With all of the research I have done in mind, I have been thinking of fun games to play with Benson and have been looking at stuff to buy for him.

 

Ammonia and Nitrate Testing

Though ammonia is more harmful, both ammonia and nitrate are toxic to fish. Ammonia can be found in water that has not been properly treated, and nitrate levels can increase due to wastes in the water. Both nitrate and ammonia can appear due to residue left on items placed into the aquarium. If the levels of nitrate or ammonia become too high, aquatic life can become sick or even die.

In order to test for ammonia, you must gather a test tube, 5 ml of water from your tank, Ammonia Bottle #1 and Ammonia Bottle #2. It is important to rinse the test tube with water from your own tank before testing in order to remove any residue from tap water or other tanks. Put 8 drops of Ammonia #1, followed by 8 drops of Ammonia #2, into the water. Gently swirl the chemicals together and wait five minutes to determine the level of ammonia in the water.

Similarly, to test for nitrate, you must clean your test tube with water from your own tank and collect 5 ml of water to test. Drop 10 drops of Nitrate #1 into the water, swirl the bottle of Nitrate #2 for 30 seconds, drop 10 drops of it into the water, swirl for one minute, and then wait five minutes to determine the results.

Observations

A good observation is a specific example of a fish's behavior and environment. For example, the water is clear, a variety of vegetation has been added to the tank, and the fish is located at the bottom of the tank. Observations can then be used to make inferences and opinions. An inference would be that the fish appears to be searching for food, and an opinion would be that the variety of plant life is excellent due to the aesthetic value and the options of places to hide and explore that are provided to the fish. Observations, inferences, and opinions are important because they lead to the understanding of the fish's behavior and the establishment of facts. Scientists must gather observations and analyze the data they come up with instead of simply assuming how something works or behaves.

Water Issues Presentation

I chose to research how much water it takes to produce a steak versus a salad. I have been a vegetarian for about 10 years, so I wanted to see how much of an effect my diet has on water consumption as opposed to the typical American diet. I expected steak to use more water than salad, but I was shocked by just how much more water a steak requires. A salad with dressing requires 15 gallons of water, but a serving of steak requires 1200 gallons! If one were to remove beef from his or her diet entirely, he or she would be saving about 300,000 gallons of water a year.

A steak requires so much water for its production because water is needed to grow the crops eaten by cattle, animals must drink water, and water is used to wash livestock. For salad, on the other hand, water is used only to grow the vegetables and wash them prior to consumption.

I was shocked to learn the relationship between the production of food and the consumption of water. It is important for society to become aware that reducing the consumption of certain foods, particularly animal products, can help aid water conservation.

Water Property Demo

In our water property demo, my partner and I demonstrated the relationship between density and temperature. We put cold water in one clear plastic cup and hot water in another. Using food coloring, we dyed the cold water blue and the hot water red so they would be easy to distinguish.

We demonstrated that hot water is less dense than cold water. When hot water is placed on top of cold water, it floats, but when cold water is placed on top of hot water, it settles to the bottom.

Overall, our demonstration went well. My partner was absent on the day we were supposed to present, so we had to present the next day, and Ms. Wood was not there to film our presentation. However, this didn't really set us back, and the demonstration itself went over as we hoped it would.

From the other demonstrations, I learned cohesion is when water attaches to itself, adhesion is when water attaches to other objects, saltwater is more conductive than freshwater,porosity is the distance between rocks, and the normal pH range for stream water is around 7.6.

My Aquarium

I ended up adopting a beautiful blue betta who I decided to name Benson.

Since Benson had been previously owned by a student from last semester, he was already living in a tank, so I ended up not having to lace him into a bottle. I had purchased some colorful gravel for him, but I liked the gravel that was in his tank already (neutral colors mixed with pale, subdued shades of green and purple) enough to keep it. I decided that I could just save the gravel I bought him for the tank I am planning to buy for him in the future.

I removed Benson from his tank and let him hang out in a clear plastic cup while I cleaned his tank. I removed the dirty water from his tank and thoroughly rinsed his gravel and his accessory (a fake plant stemming from a rock with a hole in the center for him to swim through). Then, I added clean water, dechlorinator, pondzyme, and two plants to his tank. Though the set up is pretty simple, Benson's home is perfectly suitable until I can get him something more exciting.

Aquarium Plans

Initially, I had been planning to keep a bottle. I want to take my fish with me at the end of the year, so I figured that a bottle would be the easiest for me to transport. Since the fish would be provided for me, I was willing to take care of either a minnow or betta, but I was hoping for a betta since they are so beautiful. Bettas can survive in smaller spaces and are air breathers, so they do not need to be in a tank with a bubbler like most other fish do. A bottle limits the amount of room that is available for decorations, but it is important for me to have plants in the fish's environment in order to lower nitrate levels. I am planning on upgrading my fish to a larger tank once the project is over.

Round Robin Activity

The round robin activity we did in class helped me learn more about the importance of learning about freshwater ecosystems, the effects of living near aquatic ecosystems, and the properties of water.

In the first activity I participated in, we had to list reasons to study freshwater ecosystems. Brainstorming ideas was helpful because it encouraged me to get my mind in gear for the lessons on freshwater ecosystems that are to come. Some of the reasons we thought of were to understand the differences between saltwater and freshwater organisms, to learn more about the potential benefits of freshwater life to humans (such as using plants for medicine), and to become aware of the impact of human activity on freshwater ecosystems. In the following activity, we had to draw and label a wetland, which provided insight on what freshwater ecosystems are like.

In the next activity, we had to list the pros and cons of living near water. Some of the examples that we all came up with might pertain more to saltwater environments, but a lot of them apply to freshwater environments as well. For example, living next to a lake provides a nice view and offers recreational activities within walking distance, but other people going to the lake could lead to the invasion of property.

The final station we traveled to required us to list properties of water, along with their definitions. Some of the things we discussed were density, temperature, and pressure. Discussing the properties of water served as a helpful review on information we had all learned in previous science classes.