DissolvedOxygenwithvaryingDepth,Temperature,andSalinity

August27,2015
LabPartners:JarodDenmark,DominiqueTaylor,BriannaPrashad

Introduction:
Primaryproductivityistherootinwhichallorganismsintheecosystemreceivetheir
energyTheenergyfromtheproducersarepassedalongthroughdifferenttrophiclevels
from520%Primaryproductivityistheamounto!lightenergyconvertedtochemical
energybytheautotrophsThetotalamountofchemicalenergythatisproducediscalled
thegrossprimaryproductivityandthenetprimaryproductivityistheamountthatisle!t
overtotheconsumersonceithasgonethroughrespirationThenetproductivityis
representedbytheequationNPP=GPPRespirationThroughprimaryproductivity
oxygenisalsoproducedandisdissolvedintothewater.Somethingsthatcanimpact
photosynthesisandtheamountofdissolvedoxygenaretheamountof
light,temperature,amountofwaterandcarbondioxideandtheamountofspaceforthe
planttogrowThepurposeofthelabistotesttheconcentrationofoxygeninvarious
samplesofwatertodeterminewhatconditionsareoptimalfortheabsorptionofoxygen
andalsotodeterminethechangesintheconcentrationofdissolvedoxygenwithvarying
depth,temperatureandsalinity.

ExperimentalDesign:
Question:Howdodifferentabioticfactorsimpactdissolvedoxygenlevelsinvarious
watersamples?
Hypothesis:AsthetemperaturedecreasestheDOlevelsinthewaterwillincrease.As
thesalinityincreasesinthewatertheDOlevelswilldecrease.
AsthereisalessamountoflighttheDOlevelswilldecreasebutrespirationwill
continue.

Variables:Temperature:Theindependentvariablewouldbethedifferenttemperatures
thedependentvariablewouldbetheamountofdissolvedoxygenorpercentsaturation
ofoxygen.Thecontroloftheexperimentwouldbethesamplewiththeroom
temperaturewaterandthetwoconstantswouldbethevolumeofwaterandthetesting
kitsused.
Salinity:Theindependentvariablewouldbethesalinitylevelsinthewaterandthe
dependentvariablewouldbethedissolvedoxygenlevels.Thecontroloftheexperiment
wouldbethefreshwatersamplesinceitdoesnothaveasaltconcentrationanda
constantwouldbetemperature.
Respiration:theindependentvariablewouldbethelightintensityandthedependent
variablewouldbetheDOlevels.Thecontrolofthesampleswouldbetheinitialsample
bottlessinceitwasnotexpectedtohaveahighprimaryproductivityrateanda
constantwouldbethevolumeofwater.
Safety:Wearlabgogglesatalltimesandhandleallchemicalsandglasswareaccording
totheinstructor'sdirections.
Materials/Procedure:Seelabhandout

Results:
Table1:Temperature
Temperature

LabGroupDO ClassMean
DO

LabGroup%
DOSaturation

ClassMean%
DOSaturation

20

6.4

65.5

14

6.1

69

Table2:Salinity
Salinity

LabGroupDO ClassMean
DO

LabGroup%
ClassMean%
DOSaturation DOSaturation

Fresh(0ppt)

6.6ppm

72%

7.2

70

Salt(32ppt)

4ppm

6.5

53%

61

Table3:Respiration

LabGroupData

ClassMeanData

InitialDO

6.8

6.1

DarkBottleDO

3.8

RespirationRate
(InitialDark)

2.8

2.3

Table4:LabGroupDataProductivityofScreenWrappedSamples
Light

DO(ppm)

GrossProductivity
(LightBottleDark
Bottle)

NetProductivity
(LightBottleInitial
Bottle)

100%

6.7ppm

2.7

0.1

65%

5.4ppm

1.4

1.4

25%

5.2ppm

1.2

1.6

10%

6ppm

.8

2%

6.6ppm

2.6

.2

0%

4ppm

Table5:ClassMeanDataProductivityofScreenWrappedSamples
Light

GrossProductivityDO
ppm

NetProductivityDOppm

100%

2.7

0.1

65%

1.4

1.4

25%

1.2

1.6

10%

0.8

2%

2.6

0.2


Conclusion:
1.CO2used,O2production,andglucoseproduction.
2.Dissolvedoxygenisusedtomeasurehowmuchcarbonisassimilated.
3.InthecaseoftemperatureDOlevelswilldecreaseasthetemperatureinabodyof
waterincreases.Thiscanexplainwhycolderbodiesofwatersuchaslakesandstreams
canholdahigherdissolvedoxygenlevelthanwarmershallowerwaters.
4.Salinityishowmuchsaltcanbefoundinabodyofwater,saltwaterhasahighsalt
concentrationwhichholdslessDOlevelsopposedtofreshwaterwhichholdsahigher
DOlevel.
5.Therewouldbenogrossproductivityat95%lightandnonetproductivityatall,
accordingtoourtable.
6.Sinceairisadifferentformofmatterthatwateritiseasiertotakein,formammals,
thanforfish.Andsincefishtakeinoxygenthatisdissolvedintowater,theirbodieshave
toworkhardertomovethewaterovertheirgillsinordertotakeintheoxygendissolved
inthewater.
7.TheDOleveltakenfromastreamwouldbehigherthanthattakenfromthelake
becauseithasmoremovementandcanaeratebetter.Lightcanalsogetsunlightbetter
thanthanIlakethatisdeeper.

8.IwouldexpecttheDOconcentrationtobehigherat5:00pmbecausethesunlight
wouldhavehadmoretimetostimulatephotosynthesisintheorganismsinthewaterto
makemoreoxygen.
9.Eutrophicationoccursinlakes,rivers,pondsandcoastalareas.Itiscausedwhen
highlevelsoforganicmatter,nitrogen(watersoluble)andphosphorus(notwater
soluble)arepresentinthewaterandresultsinalgalblooms.Algalbloomisarapid
increaseinthepopulationofcyanobacteriaandalgae,alsothatitinsomecases
producestoxinsandmakesitharderforlighttoenterabodyofwater.Itultimately
resultsinthedepletionofDOlevelsresultinginthedeathofnumerousaquaticlife.With
theuseofNandPfertilizersitisusuallytracedbacktorunofffromanonpointsource
suchasfromvariousagriculturalfieldsorevenroadsnearthemwhichonlyfurtheraids
totheprocessofeutrophicationbypollutingthewater.
10.Initially,drawingAwouldhavemoreoxygenavailablebecauseofitsvolume,but
overtimedrawingBwouldhavemoreoxygenavailablebecauseoftheamountof
surfaceareaithasandtheairsurroundingwilleventuallydiffuseintothewater.

Paragraph:

Asthetemperaturedecreased,thedissolvedoxygen(DO)levelsincreasedwhich
confirmstheinitialhypothesis.Asthesalinitylevelsincreased,theamountofDO
decreased,whichalsoconfirmstheinitialhypothesis.Whenthereisalesslight
intensity,theDOlevelswilldecrease.However,respirationwillcontinuetherefore,this
acceptstheinitialhypothesis.ThereasonwhytheDOlevelschangedasthedepthof
thesimulatedlakeincreasedwouldbebecauseoftheabioticfactorsimpactingthe
watersamples.Whenlighthitsthebioticfactorsinthesample,itstimulates
photosynthesiswhichproducesoxygen.Thesamplewillhavethemostoxygenat100
perecentlight.Inourtable100percentlighthadadissolvedoxygenlevelof6.2.With
temperature,wewereabletoseewiththewarmerwaterthanitheldlessdissolved
oxygenthanthecoldwater.Thereasonbehindthiswouldbeisthatthewater
temperatureincreasedthemolecularvibrations,whichinturnreducedthespace
availableforremainingmolecules.Ultimately,thisledtothedeclineofthedissolved
oxygenlevels.Withsalinity,asthesaltconcentrationincreased,itmadeitharderforthe
watertoholdalargecapacityofDO.Thisisduetothecompetingionicchargesfrom
saltallowingittofillmostofthemolecularspacesthatwouldhaveotherwisecontained
dissolvedoxygen.Withrespiration,therewasnotanylightpresentinthedarkbottle,
althoughrespirationcontinuedphotosynthesisdidnotbecausetherewasnolight
present.
Twopossibleerrorswouldbethefollowing:theexecutionofthetitrationtestsfortable
fourandnotproperlydissolvingthesulfuricacidinthetemperaturetest.Withthe

titrationsatonepointweaddedintoomuchthiosulfatesoitcouldhavemessedupthe
averageofthedissolvedoxygenlevels.Withthesulfuricacidnotproperlydissolving
coulddecreasethedissolvedoxygenamount.Anadditionalquestionthatcouldgowith
thislabcouldbewouldtherebeasignificantdifferenceofDOlevelsifthewaterwas
takenfromtwodifferentsourcessuchasfromfastmovingstreamandastillpondor
lake.Alsowouldthewater'srapidmovementfromthestreamhaveanysignificant
impactonDOlevels.

References:
Reece,JaneB.CampbellBiology,APEdition.Boston.MA:PearsonEducation/
BenjaminCummings.2007.Print