Biology (and other Life Sciences)

Acidification, salinity, temperature, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen levels in seawater from Kin Bay Okinawa Japan as a function of Low and High Tide

We are collecting data over the next two weeks so a two to three week turn around once we send the data is alright. We will upload material continuously as the project proceeds. You don’t need to include the tide tables. We do need some type of chart showing how acidification occurs so we included an example; that doesn’t have to be followed exactly. Any chart that explains it is fine. It doesn’t need to be highly graphic.

This is actually a high school science project; not for college just so you know. We do not need a college level paper.

We have uploaded the Excel data file that has all the variables we are examining. This is so that you can go ahead and be thinking about how the tables should look. We will send the name of the electronic device we are using to measure variables.

The major question of the research is really to determine if the acidification levels in the bay change as a function of high and low tide. The other variables are to support this main research topic. Research indicates that acidification levels affect ecosystems especially in bays and coral areas.

Dr. Adrienne Sutton from the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory emailed us pointing us in the direction of data from the KEO observatory which is north of Okinawa. The data indicates pH levels dropping since 2014. We wondered if pH levels would show fluctuations from low and high tide as water from the ocean increased and decreased.
We used this article as our basis in arguing that acidification affects marine organisms and along with the data we found indicating increased acidification from the KYO project, we wanted to measure ph levels at high and low tide in a Bay system – as this is different than open ocean; the ocean water fills the bay at high tide and retreats at low tide. We wondered if the pH levels changed as a result of high and low tide, was that change important and how do microorganisms handle the fluctuations in pH. Our study doesn’t answer that, but that is where we were going.

This is the reference we used to determine that for coastal water like Boston Harbor, the USA Gov states that DO levels between 3.5 to 5.0 are considered healthy. This is the internet google search listing for the book and specific page. We do not have as similar reference from the Japanese government.

MEPA Notice of Project Change (EOEA #8695) for the Boston Harbor …
https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=8RA0AQAAMAAJ
2006
Dissolved Oxygen Dissolved oxygen (DO) in marine waters is essential for most … The most severe effects occur if concentration levels fall below 2.0 mg/L, even for … In addition, the average concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (5.5 …
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.12179/full