On October 4, 2024, the 2024 AP Environmental Science classes went on a field trip with Mrs. Lozada to a Marine Nature Study area in Oceanside, NY. Some takeaways from the trip:
On our field trip, we learned about the four different zones in the salt marsh that made up the marsh. Each of the zones had distinct differences that brought the salt marsh together. Some zones had taller grass, no seaweed, and less water, while others had shorter amounts of grass, more seaweed, and lots of water. In addition, one of the zones have a higher tide that floods the region more, while the other zone usually has a very low tide that results in more dryness in the region. Lastly, some of the zones had more fish and animals in them than others due to the amount of water available. In conclusion, this is the different zones in the saltwater marsh and how they are different from one another.
We also did several different water tests to measure different parts of the water. One of the tests that we did was testing the pH of the water. We would pour water from a bucket into a smaller container and then use an indicator to indicate the pH of the water level. The colors would indicate from red to violet, which indicate an acidic, alkaline, or neutral solution in a liquid. The water was basically neutral, which indicated a pH of 7 and a green color. These results are important because it shows the water quality of the salt marsh and if it is healthy to drink. This also shows the quality of life that the organisms in the environment are living in, which is good since the pH level is neutral. In addition, we did other tests, such as measuring how much phytoplankton are in the water, and measuring the density.
Furthermore, on our trip, we also went seining to catch fish. This is basically fishing, except with a sein (net) instead of using a regular fishing net. It works by setting up a heavy and weighted net and then throwing it away from your head and into the body of water. This is used in population counts because you can estimate how many fish/what types of fish are in the body of water. This is shown by counting the number of fish in the seine and then assuming if that number is accurate in a body of water.
