Site Visit: #1

Name: Tyrese Foster

Teacher: Miss.Barrett

Date: October 27,2022

Objectives
To determine the effects of land-based pollution on the Black River Lower Morass.

To identify the major causes of water pollution on the Black River Lower Morass.

To identify the different plant and animal species on the Black River Lower Morass.

To identify what the environment was used for.

Collect water samples and test for TSS.

Activities
1. After being taken to Irie Safari, the students were escorted onto one of the boats and

given a tour of the Black River Lower Morass.

2. Mr. Linton, our tour guide and an Ecologist, told us about the various activities and

species that take place on and in the Black River Lower Morass as the students traveled

up the river.

3. Students were taken on a boat ride down the Black River, where they were given

information on the river, asked questions and instructed to record observations about it.

4. The students were then led to Broad River where our tour guide, Mr. Linton, conducted

observations and fielded questions from the class.

Observation
A high tide and dark water were also visible as the pupils arrived on the premises. Appleton

Estate was a key polluter in the area using a pollutant named ‘dunda’. Greater egrets were

spotted in the vicinity of the mangroves when the students were driven near to where the

mangroves were when the excursion started. A few feet from the river bank, two different

varieties of mangroves were spotted, and their roots and leaves were noted. Along the riverbank,

it was possible to see the Bulrush plant and Phragmites communis, a plant that resembles sugar

cane. We came upon a sizable patch of water hyacinth further upstream.

On the left side of the Black River, more mangroves could be observed. On the white and red

mangroves that lined the river bank, an invasive species known as Ginger Lily was found. The

force of the water also appeared to be greater. There were also some water hyacinths floating

downstream. Unexpectedly small waves were spotted. The pupils came upon passing tourists

taking a tour up the dark river as they were on it, Fern and Bulrush were also seen on the river.

On the Black River a bird known as the Fish Eagle was seen.

Next, we traveled to the Broad River where pupils' first observation of this river was that it was

flowing upstream rather than downstream and the second observation was that fishermen used

the river for commercial fishing and catching food like shrimp and crabs . The Broad River has

a darker shade of color than the Black River, while on our tour we were able to see one of the

crocodile whose name is Barry, who is about 70 years old and approximately eight (8) feet. It

was spotted during our tour of the Broad River.

The excursion came to an end once we left the Broad River and returned to the Safari.
Comments
The tour guide then led the students onto the boat and gave them safety instructions. The two

varieties of mangroves that have been spotted along the river are Laguncularia racemosa and

Rhizophora mangle, respectively. The prop roots of red mangroves were found to grow

downward, but the pneumatophores roots of white mangroves were found to grow upward.

White mangroves feature broad, flat, oval-shaped leaves, while red mangroves have large, waxy,

irregular leaves.

Avicennia nitida (black mangrove) and Conocarpus erectus (buttonwood mangrove), which are

found farther into the Morass, are two additional mangroves that are claimed to be present there.

The buttonwood mangroves require drier soil, while the black mangroves prefer less damp soil .

Along the river's bank, a lot of Phragmites communis, a plant that resembles sugar cane, was also

seen which is used to make fishing hunting devices. We came upon a sizable clump of water

hyacinth and water lilies that had chosen that particular spot since it was full of muck.As we

continued down the Black River, we saw that there were more mangroves on the left side of the

river, which makes sense given that mangroves love salt water. The fact that the water is coming

from high mountains and carrying a lot of debris may be the reason it has a brown color and

appears to have stronger force. The students came upon tourists exploring the river while they

were on the Black River.A crocodile that was attempting to camouflage in with its surroundings

was also spotted. Shortly after spotting the tourist, we departed the Broad River and returned to

the boat pier, where the tour came to an end.

Follow up activity
From the rivers, water samples were gathered and brought back to the school. Pictures of the

vegetation and animals spotted in the river were captured.

Testing for TSS was conducted.