This month we really started to explore more with our project. The sump at first had 4 baby mangroves thriving in it. Our initial idea was to have one mangrove per bucket, each with different salinities and ecosystem properties i.e. different bases such as sand, rocks, and dirt. To start this process we wanted the mangroves to first adjust to the same salinity in one singular ecosystem contained in a bucket. On January 27 the four red mangroves were placed in a bucket with various live rocks with the original tank/sump water. The salinity was 1.022/30 and the temperature was an expected 77 degrees. Yet just a month later, February 24, only one red mangrove was surviving, barely. We started to pose the questions as to why three had died. The most rational answer was that the water was not changed as frequently as it should have, causing the mangroves to pollute the water and the salinity to drop. After the survival of only one red mangrove we changed the water more often, weekly or bi-weekly. On February 24 the salinity before was 1.020/20 and the temperature was 78 degrees. I wanted to test the theory of the red mangroves surviving in a different or abnormal salinity. So, proceeding changing the water, I added three pitchers of sump water, salinity 1.020 and one and a half pitchers of fresh water.
In conclusion the beginning of our project has been off to a rocky start. Having only one surviving mangrove is detrimental to our project, so during the spring break we are ordering 4 more baby red mangroves to aide our project. With these new mangroves we hope to continue our project in more of our original direction, comparing the growth of the red mangroves depending on different salinities and ecosystems.
In conclusion the beginning of our project has been off to a rocky start. Having only one surviving mangrove is detrimental to our project, so during the spring break we are ordering 4 more baby red mangroves to aide our project. With these new mangroves we hope to continue our project in more of our original direction, comparing the growth of the red mangroves depending on different salinities and ecosystems.