Whale Observation

In science class, we are doing a humpback whale observation lab. The idea is to collect data on the whales early and later on in the whale season here to test multiple hypotheses regarding the whales. We measure distance and direction of the whales, we count the whales, and we record their behaviors.

My personal research question is "Are humpback whales closer to the shore earlier in the season or later?" I hypothesize that they are closer to shore earlier in the season, where the younger calves can be sheltered from predators by local coves.

To observe the whales, we went to MacGregor's point, on the road to Lahaina. I had fun observinig the whales, but we only saw two pods.


To measure the distance of the whales from shore, we used clinometers. A clinometer is a protractor with a weight on a string. It is used to measure angles relative to the Earth. Using this device, along with a GPS, we were able to find our distanc from the whales, by taking our angle relative to the whales, and then multiplying the tangent of that angle by our altitude.

Tide pools

There are many different invertebrates living in the tide pools on Maui's shores, but most are classified under nine phyla. Porifera refers to sponges. Cnidarians are jellyfish and corals. Platyhelminthes are flatworms. Nemotoda refers to roundworms. Mollusks are shelled animals like snails and bivalves. Annelids are segmented worms. Arthropods have jointed limbs, like crabs. Echinoderm (meaning spiny skin) refers to star fish and sea urchins. Chordata refers to fish.

For a recent lab in science class, it was our job to go to some tide pools and see how many of these types of invertebrates we could find. We wanted to know which phyla were most diverse and abundant. I expected Arthropods to be the most diverse and Mollusks to be the most abundant. It turns out, that Mollusks overwhelmed all other phyla in both areas.

I thought learning about these animals was the best part of the lab. I found that many of the phyla and species we learned about I had never seen. I still haven't seen many of them.

Pictures From Geocaching

None of these pictures are of my group.

Geocaching

Geocaching is a kind of modern-day treasure hunt game. Geocachers are given the coordinates of a specific cache and use GPS devices to locate said cache. You can find plenty of geocaches on this website: http://www.geocaching.com/ .

This interesting use of GPS technology raises the question "How does GPS work?" GPS, or the Global Positioning System, works with a system of 24 satellites. When a user wants to know their location, he/she uses a GPS device to find their distance from three or more satellites (technically, four are needed for an exact location), and then can triangulate their location based on the locations of the satellites.

In class, we had a "Geocaching Battle Royale," where we had to find the most geocaches during the period. Our group only found two of the four we searched for.

Termite Colony Observations

1. Our jar was set up with 20 g silicate sand, 17 ml of moisture, 1 piece of wood, and 100 termites.
2. Over time, the termites carved tunnels into the sand and wood. The moisture level didn't seem to change very much. Initially the termites were very active, but later on they seemed lethargic.
3. They burrowed through everything in the jar.
4. Humans were often careless when handling the jar, and often destroyed the sand tunnels that the termites had made.
5. I thought this unit was interesting. I liked learning about how the termites digest food. I did not however particularly enjoy the process of getting the amoebas.

Termite Protozoa

A shot of the termite's digestive system, with wood particles floating nearby.

A shot of the termite's internal protozoa.

Symbiosis is a mutually beneficial relationship between two different organisms. For example, the relationship between the clown fish and the anemone is symbiotic because the clown fish gains protection from the anemone and the anemone gets cleaned when the clown fish eats particles caught in the tentacles. The termite has a similar relationship with protozoa, which are tiny single cell organisms. The termite eats wood, which passes into the termite's digestive tract where the protozoa live. The protozoa consume the wood particles and produce acetate, which the termite uses for nutrition. The termite gains a food processor and the protozoa gain food and shelter.

To study these protozoa, we had to go into the termite's digestive tract. First, we removed this with two pairs of forceps. We then put the digestive tract into saline and placed it on a slide. We put the slide on a microscope and looked for the protozoa.

I though the lab was rather interesting. I haven't seen anything as lively as the protozoa were under the microscope. It wasn't fun removing the digestive tract though.

Soil Testing Kit

This kit is used to test the composition of any type of soil. It allows you to test the soil for nitrates, calcium, magnesium, and many other materials, all of which are important for plants growing in the soil.

The procedure for using this kit to test soil differs depending upon the test, but I'll provide the procedure for collecting a soil extract, and for testing the soil for magnesium and phosphates. Magnesium is a key component of chlorophyll, the chemical used by plants to convert sunlight into energy. Phosphates are a form of phosphorus that are required by many living creatures, including people.

Creating a Soil Extract

1: Take 1 level spoonful of soil and put it into a test tube.

2: Add 8ml of distilled water.

3: Add 2 drops of acetic acid.

4: Stopper the tube and shake well for about a minute.

5: Leave the tube overnight to sit.

6: After 1 night, the tube's contents should've separated into normal dirt and a yellowish fluid. This fluid is the extract.

7: Remove the extract carefully, without removing any of the solid matter. The extract will be needed for many of the next tests.

Measuring Phosphates

1: Add 20 drops of extract to a labform.

2: Add 5 drops of phosphorus reagent.

3: Add 1 piece of tin, wait 15-20 seconds.

4: The fluid will turn blue if phosphates are present. The darker the blue, the greater the amount of phosphates.

Measuring Magnesium

1: Add 20 drops of extract to a labform.

2: Add 1 drop of sodium hydroxide.

3: Add 1 drop of magnesium reagent.

4: Wait 30 seconds for a reaction.

5: If the fluid turns pink and cloudy, then there is a large amount of magnesium. If it is brown, then there is enough magnesium for most plants to get by. If the fluid remains yellow/tan then there is not enough magnesium for healthy plants.

Above is a picture of the sodium hydroxide next to the magnesium reagent.