Title
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The Study of Red Mangrove's Growth Based on Different Environment
{red_mangroves_tank_.JPG} Tan…
The Study of Red Mangrove's Growth Based on Different Environment
{red_mangroves_tank_.JPG} Tank 9 (A1)
In this growth study of baby red mangroves the primary objective is to determine which environment is better suited to grow red mangroves, either a sump or a tank. The two environments are completely different and will offer varying impacts for the red mangroves. The tank (9 A1) is a controlled ecosystem that has multiple organisms living in the tank, along with the effects of water flow and a daylight schedule. Contrasting to the tank, the sump has no other organisms except green algae. The difference between the two environments will determine which is better suited for red mangroves to develop in. As a part of this experiment, the red mangroves will switch environments; the red mangroves from the sump will go to the tank and vise versa, to discover if the change in ecosystems impacts the red mangroves growth.
Proposal
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Introduction
In this experiment baby red mangroves are placed in both a tank (9A1) and the sump …
Introduction
In this experiment baby red mangroves are placed in both a tank (9A1) and the sump for that rack of tanks. Being placed in both environments will determine which would be more efficient and have a better success rate for growing baby red mangroves. Red mangroves naturally grow in tropical estuaries, like in Florida. Red mangroves thrive in salinity environments, yet they are able to sustain themselves in both freshwater and saltwater ecosystems. Red Mangroves filter out a lot of the salt at their roots, up to 90%, and also have salt glands in their leaves, which excrete excess salt (Gill/Tomlinson 106). The red mangrove’s filtration system also is able to replace sodium ions with magnesium ions, allowing them to thrive and grow in any water ecosystem. Red Mangroves can be grown in various areas of the marine aquarium system. They can be grown in the sump, the refugium, the mud bed, and a separate designated aquarium or even in the display aquarium.
Since red mangroves can grow in varies ecosystems, the red mangroves are placed in both the sump and the tank. Other organisms in the tank are likely to impact the mangroves growth because of their interactions. Aside from the live rocks, red and green algae, also found in the tank are: anemones, xenia, aptasia, one fish and two snails. The Sun Anemone (Stichodactyla Helianthus) is a flattened oral disc covered with hundreds of short, thick tentacles with rounded tips, with colors from green to brown. Only one Two-Spot Cardinalfish (Apogon Pseudomaculatus) lives in the tank. The Cardinalfish stands out for its pinkish to fiery red color, it also has large eyes, separate dorsal fins, and a short snout with a large mouth. Another identifying feature is a number of black spots along its sides. Two Snails (Astraea spp./ Lithompoma spp.) also live in the tank, these algae eating snails are also known as reef janitors. Their red algae cover shells make them easy to spot inside the tank. In addition to the tank mangroves, some baby red mangroves will be placed in the sump, an area where they are floating in constantly filtrated water with algae. Overall this experiment will observe the baby red mangrove’s growth both within the tank and sump to determine which is a better enviroment for the mangrove’s development and evaluate how the organisms within each enviroment impact the mangrove’s general growth.
Questions
1) How do the other organisms in the tank affect the growth the red mangroves?
2) How does the filtration system in the sump affect the growth of the red mangroves?
3) How does high flow and low flow water levels in the sump impact the growth of the red mangroves?
4) Does the water flow in the tank alter the growth of the red mangroves?
5) How does the reverse daylight schedule impact the red mangroves growth?
Hypothesis
If the red mangroves are placed in both the tank and sump, the red mangroves in the sump will develop
with a higher quality then those in the tank due to the interference with other organisms and nutrient levels.
Design of Research
To research the growth of red mangroves and discover the best contained enviroment for the red mangroves to develop within. The analysis will be based off of several months of substantial research and observations that will be taken daily and weekly. The experiment will involve the baby red mangroves to be placed in both the sump and the tank (tank 9 A1). The difference between the two ecosystems will alter the growth process of the red mangroves. Later in the research changes in the sump and the tank’s nutrient and chemical systems will be made to evaluate if those changes effect the red mangroves growth process. The enviroment of the tank will be altered as well, with the possibility of the water flow system having effect on the growth of the red mangroves. Observations will be continually made to gather whether or not there is a difference in the red mangroves growth patterns. To achieve this the red mangroves from the sump will be switched with the red mangroves living in the tank (tank 9 A1), and vise versa. Daily and weekly observations and research will be recorded and analyzed to determine whether or not the difference in the red mangroves enviroment effects their overall growth.
Schedule
Water tests will be taken daily, testing the all the chemicals by the end of each week. Alkalinity and pH will be taken twice a week; Mondays and Fridays. Calcium will be tested once a week; Tuesdays. Nitrate and Nitrite will be tested once a week; Thursdays. Salinity and temperature will also be taken daily, along with daily observations and questions will be recorded about the red mangroves growth in both the sump and the tank. The length of the red mangroves from both the sump and the tank will be recorded weekly, measured in both millimeters and centimeters.
Month 1- Red Mangroves will be placed in both the sump and the tank. Daily observations will be made.
Month 2- Increase the daylight schedule in the sump and record any changes in growth patterns.
Month 3- The water flow system in the tank and the sump will be positioned next to the red mangroves, to determine if the water flow alter the growth of the red mangroves.
Month 4- Review notes to determine if the other organisms living in the tank have impacted the red mangrove’s growth.
Month 5- Switch the red mangroves from the sump to the tank, and the red mangroves in the tank to the sump. Observe to see if there are any changes in the red mangroves growth pattern with the addition of a completely new environment.
Month 6- Determine the overall growth of both the red mangroves in the tank and in the sump to decide which enviroment (sump vs tank) is a better for the red mangrove’s growth.
Supplies and Equipment
Tank
Red Mangrove’s
Crushed Coral
Live Rock
Protein Skimmer
Sump
Chiller
Overflow
Power head
Power Compact Light
Siphon
Filter
Thermometer
Refract meter
Mud
October-November
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October-November
Over the past two months we have been observing and checking tank 9(A1) daily. A…
October-November
Over the past two months we have been observing and checking tank 9(A1) daily. Along with daily checks, we have been testing the chemical levels of the tank weekly or bi-weekly. These water tests help to determine the overall environment and how the baby red mangroves will adapt to it. We have also preformed two water changes, due to the extensive amount of red algae in the tank. The red algae population is almost uncontrollable, growing over the patch of green algae in the tank. In addition to the Proposal, we are changing the overall experiment. With more baby red mangroves we have decided to study the environmental behavior of the baby red mangroves by placing them in buckets or pots each containing water with a different salinity. This difference in salinity will decipher the ways in which red mangroves grow in different types of seawater, and how the difference in salinity affects their overall growth and development. Since red mangroves can filter up to 90% of salt water at their roots. This filtration system allows is able to replace sodium ions with magnesium ions, allowing the red mangroves to thrive and grow properly in almost any water ecosystem. From this red mangroves can be grown in various areas of the marine aquarium system including the sump, refugium, mud bed, and in seperate designated aquariums.
From this information we have decided to create a new experiment where we will place the red mangroves in different salinity environments. Over the course of the next few months we will begin the process by taking the red mangroves currently located in the sump and transfer some of them to their new locations. We will start by first placing all of the taken red mangroves in one bucket with the same salinity. Over the weeks will be be taking red mangroves from that bucket and transferring them to buckets with a higher salinity, while leaving one red mangrove stem left in the original bucket so we can collect and compare data. As we separate the red mangroves into environments with different salinity rates, we will observe and collect data and observations to determine at which salinity level red mangroves grow the fastest. Along with growing the fastest we would also want our red mangroves to be healthy and developing properly yet at an exceptional rate. We hope to be able to begin this addition to our proposal and experimentation after we return from winter break.
November-January
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For these past three months we have been observing and changing tank 9(A1) while beginning our red…
For these past three months we have been observing and changing tank 9(A1) while beginning our red mangrove project. Everyday daily observations and notes are written about our tank 9(A1) and recorded in a black binder, located next to the tank. Over the course of November and December our tank was exploding with red algae. We tried doing several water changes to remove the red algae, but the red algae still over grew throughout the tank. Chemical water tests were also taken to see if the chemical and nutritional balance of the tank might have caused the red algae bloom, yet nothing unusual was appearing from our water tests. Eventually we removed the red algae along with the halameda it was growing on top of. This removal solution finally solved our red algae problem. Later in January, new fish and aquatic plants arrived and were distributed among different tanks. Our tank received one brittle star, some shaving brush algae, new halameda, three peppermint shrimp, one emerald crab, and some more snails. These new additions have made our tank more aesthetically pleasing and exciting. Finally having something new to make daily observations on was great.
Aside from daily observations we also started our red mangrove project, as it is described in our Proposal. We started by taking our four reaming baby mangroves and carefully removing them from the sump tank were they had been stationed before. After removing the baby red mangroves we placed them into a bucked that had been filled with large live rocks, to give the baby mangroves roots a place to attach. We placed the mangroves inside the bucked and filled the bucked with the water from the sump by using the pitcher. The salinity of the water was 1.022 and the temperature was 77 degrees. From here we will let the red mangroves grow for a week and then use new buckets with different ecosystems and different water salinities to observe in which enviroment baby red mangroves thrive the most. Overall our project has just begun, yet it will progress very quickly throughout the remainder of the school year.
March
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This month we have been re-evaluating our initial proposal and how it failed. Our mangroves have o…
This month we have been re-evaluating our initial proposal and how it failed. Our mangroves have officially died, all of them. It started out with only two dying. The cause was thought to be because they were not strong enough to stabilize to the new environment of the bucket from its original habitat of the sump. Although we used the same water from the sump in our buckets, the sump water had more constant circulation of oxygen and the water in general. We knew this when we decided to use a bucket as our container, and we changed the water in the buckets weekly; replacing the water with more water from the original sump. Still, the mangroves did not thrive; actually they were in a constant state of decline from the beginning. We continued to try to save our remaining three mangroves but a week after the first two died, two more passed on to the alter plant life. After now changing the water bi-weekly, the causation behind the death of the mangroves remained unknown. Currently we are trying to figure out the reason behind the deaths of the mangroves. Maybe it was a chemical imbalance or bacteria. In the end our last mangrove perished. For our final presentation we will dissect our proposal and discuss what went wrong throughout our project and from there produce an alternate plan if we could re-do our project.
home
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Red Mangrove 2011-12
{red_mangroves_tank_.JPG} Tank 9 (A1)
In this growth study of baby red ma…
Red Mangrove 2011-12
{red_mangroves_tank_.JPG} Tank 9 (A1)
In this growth study of baby red mangroves the primary objective is to determine which enviroment is better suited to grow red mangroves, either a sump or a tank. The two environments are completely different and will offer varying impacts for the red mangroves. The tank (9 A1) is a controlled ecosystem that has multiple organisms living in the tank, along with the effects of water flow and a daylight schedule. Contrasting to the tank, the sump has no other organisms except green algae. The difference between the two environments will determine which is better suited for red mangroves to develop in. As a part of this experiment, the red mangroves will switch environments; the red mangroves from the sump will go to the tank and vise versa, to discover if the change in ecosystems impacts the red mangroves growth.
