Virtual Urchin Lab (Ocean Acidification)
Essential Question: I think that it is possible that humans can change the chemistry of the ocean.
1. Carbon in the Air: What does the graph of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide tell us?
~ The graph shows carbon dioxide levels measured at Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii's in 1958 to 2008.
2. pH scale: Where do some common items fall on the pH? Take a screenshot of your final answers and paste below.
1. Carbon in the Air: What does the graph of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide tell us?
~ The graph shows carbon dioxide levels measured at Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii's in 1958 to 2008.
2. pH scale: Where do some common items fall on the pH? Take a screenshot of your final answers and paste below.
3. The pH changes by the amount of carbon dioxide. A change from 8.2 to 8.1 on the pH scale is a 30%.
4. Too much carbon dioxide in the ocean water causes lower pH but with little carbon there will be higher pH level.
5. ~ Optimistic - As the years went from 1865 - 2090 the corals shrink as the amount of carbon dioxide increased with the pH 7.92.
~ Middle Ground - The corals shrink even more with higher carbon dioxide level and the pH for year 2090 is 7.83.
~ Pessimistic - The corals size decreased with higher carbon dioxide level, withe pH level for 2090 is 7.73.
6. Organisms in order of Calcifiers or Non-Calcifiers:
4. Too much carbon dioxide in the ocean water causes lower pH but with little carbon there will be higher pH level.
5. ~ Optimistic - As the years went from 1865 - 2090 the corals shrink as the amount of carbon dioxide increased with the pH 7.92.
~ Middle Ground - The corals shrink even more with higher carbon dioxide level and the pH for year 2090 is 7.83.
~ Pessimistic - The corals size decreased with higher carbon dioxide level, withe pH level for 2090 is 7.73.
6. Organisms in order of Calcifiers or Non-Calcifiers:
7. Describe the life cycle of Echinoderms and explain why they are so sensitive to changes in pH.
~ Echinoderms have internal skeletons made of magnesium calcite from calcium carbonate, which makes them the most sensitive to ocean acidification.
Echinoderms start as a 2 cell embryo, changing into a young sea urchin larva, then into a late stage larva, and they become juvenile crawling out of their larval body. After the juveniles grow after metamorphosis, they finally become a sea urchin adult.
8. The ocean acidification can affect the sea urchin's larva's growth of the skeleton and spine since their skeleton are very sensitive magnesium calcite.
Ocean Acidification Lab:
2. I can see the urchin larval embryo's skeleton as it lights up in the polarized light mode.
3. We are using these two pH values for this experiment, because the pH 8.1 is the average pH of ocean water today. While pH 7.7 could be the average pH of sea water at the end of the century.
4. The pH of the first sample with carbon dioxide added in the sea water made the pH lower lowered.
6. Measurements and Average:
~ Echinoderms have internal skeletons made of magnesium calcite from calcium carbonate, which makes them the most sensitive to ocean acidification.
Echinoderms start as a 2 cell embryo, changing into a young sea urchin larva, then into a late stage larva, and they become juvenile crawling out of their larval body. After the juveniles grow after metamorphosis, they finally become a sea urchin adult.
8. The ocean acidification can affect the sea urchin's larva's growth of the skeleton and spine since their skeleton are very sensitive magnesium calcite.
Ocean Acidification Lab:
2. I can see the urchin larval embryo's skeleton as it lights up in the polarized light mode.
3. We are using these two pH values for this experiment, because the pH 8.1 is the average pH of ocean water today. While pH 7.7 could be the average pH of sea water at the end of the century.
4. The pH of the first sample with carbon dioxide added in the sea water made the pH lower lowered.
6. Measurements and Average:
Discuss Data:
My data showed how the level of the pH changed each year and how the pH level had an affect on the urchin larvae. The urchin larvae was smaller and more affected by the lower pH. While the other urchin larvae was a bit bigger with higher pH level than the one with lower pH level. This lab proved that pH lower level does affect sea urchins of their growth size and process.
Conclusion:
These changes of lower pH affects their growth making them easier preys for their predators. This means that the population of adult sea urchin would decrease, because of their weak and slow growth makes them easy preys that they get eaten and don't pass that point in life to fully grow into an adult sea urchin. These causes lower adult sea urchin population. The other organisms that depend on these sea urchins as a food source would be affected as well. The organisms that depend on the sea urchins would probably decrease in population as well, because they aren't getting enough sea urchins to eat. Ocean acidfication really has a humongous affect on seas urchins, because of lower pH level in the water. Not just does lower pH affect the sea urchins but also the food chain, and us as well. We have to protect our food chain starting with sea urchins because it does affect us as well.
My data showed how the level of the pH changed each year and how the pH level had an affect on the urchin larvae. The urchin larvae was smaller and more affected by the lower pH. While the other urchin larvae was a bit bigger with higher pH level than the one with lower pH level. This lab proved that pH lower level does affect sea urchins of their growth size and process.
Conclusion:
These changes of lower pH affects their growth making them easier preys for their predators. This means that the population of adult sea urchin would decrease, because of their weak and slow growth makes them easy preys that they get eaten and don't pass that point in life to fully grow into an adult sea urchin. These causes lower adult sea urchin population. The other organisms that depend on these sea urchins as a food source would be affected as well. The organisms that depend on the sea urchins would probably decrease in population as well, because they aren't getting enough sea urchins to eat. Ocean acidfication really has a humongous affect on seas urchins, because of lower pH level in the water. Not just does lower pH affect the sea urchins but also the food chain, and us as well. We have to protect our food chain starting with sea urchins because it does affect us as well.