Cellular Processes and Aquatic Systems 1: In this lab, students are introduced to the processes of cellular respiration and photosynthesis (including the inputs and outputs) and asked to apply these concepts to issues like ocean acidification and algae blooms. The main activity of this lab centers around students creating their own Chlorella algae cultures and adjusting a variable (ex. amount of fertilizer used, amount of light, amount of gas exchange) to determine the best methods to grow algae. Students will also take measurements of seashells in different pH solutions. Students will also examine data from NOAA regarding algae blooms in the Gulf of Mexico, how those blooms impact the ecosystem, and what causes them.
Cellular Processes and Aquatic Systems 2: In this lab, students take a second set of data on both the seashell experiment and the algae culture experiment. This data is then used to graph the change in seashell weight and the change in algae culture density over the previous week. Students will also observe several aquaria with different combinations of snails and plants, make predictions about the pH, dissolved oxygen, and ammonia contents of each aquarium based on their observations, and then test each aquarium to gain evidence for or against their predictions. The lab also encourages students to research and discuss solutions being implemented to combat algae blooms and ocean acidifcation.