Introduction:
Hello! In this experiment we are doing a plankton race. The goal is to have your plankton neutrally buoyant (or sink the slowest) and another goal is for it to be very creative. If it sinks or floats then you don't win. You can't have your plankton be larger than a golf and you can create the plankton the way you want as long as it is appropriate. While you do the experiment, observe, and take pictures & data.
Hello! In this experiment we are doing a plankton race. The goal is to have your plankton neutrally buoyant (or sink the slowest) and another goal is for it to be very creative. If it sinks or floats then you don't win. You can't have your plankton be larger than a golf and you can create the plankton the way you want as long as it is appropriate. While you do the experiment, observe, and take pictures & data.
Purpose: The purpose of the lab is to learn more about planktons and how can be neutrally buoyant and drift. another purpose is how creative you can be with designing the plankton plus making it neutrally buoyant.
Hypothesis: If our plankton doesn't float or sink, then we successfully created a neutral buoyant plankton.
Vocabularies:
- Photic zone: The extent of top to bottom in an ocean or lake that is expose to enough sunlight.
- Plankton: A small marine organism that is consisted of bacteria, protozoans, algae, cnidarians, and may other more organisms. They mostly drift.
- Benthic: Non-floating plankton and they float live attaching to solid surfaces as rocks.
- Planktonic: They float in a water column.
- Phytoplankton: A type of plankton that survives by photosynthesis.
- Zooplankton: A type of plankton that feeds on phytoplankton.
- Adaptions: Any physical or behavioral trait that helps them survive in their environment.
- Cilia: Hair-like extensions that is found on ciliates, and it helps the plankton move and catch food.
- Flagella: Tails found on dianoflagellates, a type of plankton.
- Surface area: The whole area of the face and a curved surface of solid object.
- Density: Mass per volume. D= M/V
- Vacuoles/other compartments: Some planktons have this to help support them in buoyancy.
- Diurnal migration: This is when the planktons migrate deep into the water at at day time to hide from predators and return to the top at night to eat.
List of Plankton Adaptions Below:
Adaptions Features:
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Advantage/Reasons:
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Questions:
1. What are planktons?
- Planktons are small organisms that float and drift in salt/fresh water and consists of bacteria, protozoans, algae, and more.
2. What do planktons eat? What is the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton?
- Zooplankton feed on phytoplankton and phytoplankton relies on photosynthesis.
3. Why are planktons important?
- Planktons are important because they are 50% of our oxygen source and major food source for other primary animals.
4. Where would they want to hang out?
- They want to stay in the photic zone, because that is where they can photosynthesis.
5. How would a plankton stay in the photic zone?
A plankton stays in the depth of the photic zone of of the ocean for enough sunlight.
Brainstorm ways that plankton could reduce sinking rates:
- Ways that plankton can do to reduce sinking rates as adaptions is like vacuoles, compartments, surface area, and the flagella.
1. What are planktons?
- Planktons are small organisms that float and drift in salt/fresh water and consists of bacteria, protozoans, algae, and more.
2. What do planktons eat? What is the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton?
- Zooplankton feed on phytoplankton and phytoplankton relies on photosynthesis.
3. Why are planktons important?
- Planktons are important because they are 50% of our oxygen source and major food source for other primary animals.
4. Where would they want to hang out?
- They want to stay in the photic zone, because that is where they can photosynthesis.
5. How would a plankton stay in the photic zone?
A plankton stays in the depth of the photic zone of of the ocean for enough sunlight.
Brainstorm ways that plankton could reduce sinking rates:
- Ways that plankton can do to reduce sinking rates as adaptions is like vacuoles, compartments, surface area, and the flagella.
Marybelle and Melinda's Plankton Creation:
Name of plankton: Archie Cloud
Explanation of the Name: We named our plankton Archie Cloud because our plankton had a really fluffy cloud shape like body with bristles. For the "Archie" part we really liked the name Archie plus the plankton reminded Marybelle of a creature she made in 7th grade so we that it why.
Explanation of the Name: We named our plankton Archie Cloud because our plankton had a really fluffy cloud shape like body with bristles. For the "Archie" part we really liked the name Archie plus the plankton reminded Marybelle of a creature she made in 7th grade so we that it why.
Note any special adaptions you included to help your plankton float:
We created our plankton with adaptions as bristles for moving, antenna for sensing, and 4 eyes to see the front & back.
We created our plankton with adaptions as bristles for moving, antenna for sensing, and 4 eyes to see the front & back.
Testing your plankton:
Directions: Place your plankton into the tank and TIME how long (in seconds) that it takes for your plankton to sink to the bottom of the tank. Try it 3 times (making sure to dry between trials). After your 3 trials, average your floating time and calculate the RATE (distance/time) of your plankton sinking.
Directions: Place your plankton into the tank and TIME how long (in seconds) that it takes for your plankton to sink to the bottom of the tank. Try it 3 times (making sure to dry between trials). After your 3 trials, average your floating time and calculate the RATE (distance/time) of your plankton sinking.
TRIAL #1:
2.8 sec. |
TRIAL #2:
2.6 sec. |
TRIAL #3:
2.7 sec. |
Average Time:
2.7 sec. |
Distance:
20 cm. |
Rate: .74 cm. per sec.
Your Plankton Results:
1. How long did it take your plankton to sink below the photic zone? (What was the rate?)
~ It took .74 cm. per sec. before the plankton sank below the photic zone.
2. Was this longer than you expected, shorter than you expected, pr about what you expected?
~ The time was around what I expected, because my partner and I were making constant changes changes on it though sadly we we couldn't finish it the way we thought we could.
3. How did this compare to the sinking rates of your classmates' plankton creations?
~ My partner and my plankton's time was not as long compared to other classmates, but we did put in an equal amount of effort to create it.
4. What other observations did you make about sinking rates of plankton?
~ Other observations that I saw was that the planktons with equal balance in the body surface area and also had an equal amount of antennas, legs, or flagella.
5. Explain why a plankton would want to go up and down in the water column?
~ A plankton would want to go to the shallow surface of the water for food. The plankton goes down in the water for protection also to avoid predators.
6. If a plankton cannot swim against the current, how do they move within the water column?
~ a plankton can't swim against the current, then they use their flagella to help stay afloat.
7. Describe the features of the winning plankton (slowest sinking rate). How was it different/similar to yours?
~ The winning plankton had a very balanced and evenly spread out body. The size of the of the other planktons were small and big. When the plankton as too big , it sank. Though when it was too small, it floated. So this is why the plankton needs to have an equal balanced body. It was similar to my partner and my plankton by having an equal amount of spread out body but ours had too much weight. Plus the way they designed their plankton was different from ours as well.
8. This race was performed in freshwater. How would the performance of your plankton be different in saltwater? Why?
~ If my fresh water plankton was performed in saltwater instead, then it won't be able to survive because it is a fresh water plankton. The salt water would affect the buoyancy of the plankton. Slat water is more dense than fresh water, so then my plankton can't be more dens than the water it displaces. I t has to be neutrally buoyant.
9. This race was performed in room temperature. How would the performance of your plankton be different in very cold water? In very hot water? Why?
~ If my plankton was in dense cold water, it will be more difficult for it to photosynthesis. In the cold water the plankton will float since the water is more dense than the plankton. It will sink faster. In hot water, the plankton will sink , because the water is less dense than the plankton. So it will sink slower.
10. What factors, other than buoyancy, influence the evolution if the plankton's external features?
~ Factors that influence the evolution of a plankton's external features is sunlight, density, surface area, and habitat.
Conclusion: Explain what you learned about plankton and their adaptions, buoyancy and water composition by doing this laboratory activity. Please make sure to include your correct vocabulary and complete sentences.
~ Planktons are small organisms that drift/float in slat or fresh water. Planktons don't swim but drift/float. Not all planktons drift/float, some are benthic that are at the bottom of the rocks. Phytoplanktons photosynthesis in the photic zone to survive. Planktons have features like cilia, flagella, and a surface area. A plankton's surface area helps it to be in the right shape to be able to float/sink. Planktons do diurnal migration where they move deep in the water during the day and then return at the top of the water in the night. They move to the bottom to hide away from predators to save energy, but at night they move to the surface to eat.
~ It took .74 cm. per sec. before the plankton sank below the photic zone.
2. Was this longer than you expected, shorter than you expected, pr about what you expected?
~ The time was around what I expected, because my partner and I were making constant changes changes on it though sadly we we couldn't finish it the way we thought we could.
3. How did this compare to the sinking rates of your classmates' plankton creations?
~ My partner and my plankton's time was not as long compared to other classmates, but we did put in an equal amount of effort to create it.
4. What other observations did you make about sinking rates of plankton?
~ Other observations that I saw was that the planktons with equal balance in the body surface area and also had an equal amount of antennas, legs, or flagella.
5. Explain why a plankton would want to go up and down in the water column?
~ A plankton would want to go to the shallow surface of the water for food. The plankton goes down in the water for protection also to avoid predators.
6. If a plankton cannot swim against the current, how do they move within the water column?
~ a plankton can't swim against the current, then they use their flagella to help stay afloat.
7. Describe the features of the winning plankton (slowest sinking rate). How was it different/similar to yours?
~ The winning plankton had a very balanced and evenly spread out body. The size of the of the other planktons were small and big. When the plankton as too big , it sank. Though when it was too small, it floated. So this is why the plankton needs to have an equal balanced body. It was similar to my partner and my plankton by having an equal amount of spread out body but ours had too much weight. Plus the way they designed their plankton was different from ours as well.
8. This race was performed in freshwater. How would the performance of your plankton be different in saltwater? Why?
~ If my fresh water plankton was performed in saltwater instead, then it won't be able to survive because it is a fresh water plankton. The salt water would affect the buoyancy of the plankton. Slat water is more dense than fresh water, so then my plankton can't be more dens than the water it displaces. I t has to be neutrally buoyant.
9. This race was performed in room temperature. How would the performance of your plankton be different in very cold water? In very hot water? Why?
~ If my plankton was in dense cold water, it will be more difficult for it to photosynthesis. In the cold water the plankton will float since the water is more dense than the plankton. It will sink faster. In hot water, the plankton will sink , because the water is less dense than the plankton. So it will sink slower.
10. What factors, other than buoyancy, influence the evolution if the plankton's external features?
~ Factors that influence the evolution of a plankton's external features is sunlight, density, surface area, and habitat.
Conclusion: Explain what you learned about plankton and their adaptions, buoyancy and water composition by doing this laboratory activity. Please make sure to include your correct vocabulary and complete sentences.
~ Planktons are small organisms that drift/float in slat or fresh water. Planktons don't swim but drift/float. Not all planktons drift/float, some are benthic that are at the bottom of the rocks. Phytoplanktons photosynthesis in the photic zone to survive. Planktons have features like cilia, flagella, and a surface area. A plankton's surface area helps it to be in the right shape to be able to float/sink. Planktons do diurnal migration where they move deep in the water during the day and then return at the top of the water in the night. They move to the bottom to hide away from predators to save energy, but at night they move to the surface to eat.