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Summary Final Lab Report.doc ENV111 Laboratory Report ENV111: Introduction to Sustainability Laboratory Report Abstract The purpose of this laboratory report was to investigate the sudden death of a substantial number of fish at Trishas fish farm. At first $7.49   Add to cart

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Summary Final Lab Report.doc ENV111 Laboratory Report ENV111: Introduction to Sustainability Laboratory Report Abstract The purpose of this laboratory report was to investigate the sudden death of a substantial number of fish at Trishas fish farm. At first

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Final Lab R ENV111 Laboratory Report ENV111: Introduction to Sustainability Laboratory Report Abstract The purpose of this laboratory report was to investigate the sudden death of a substantial number of fish at Trishas fish farm. At first, we observed the placement of the dead fish in the w...

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  • January 9, 2022
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ENV111
Laboratory Report


ENV111: Introduction to Sustainability




Laboratory Report

Abstract

The purpose of this laboratory report was to investigate the sudden death of a substantial

number of fish at Trisha’s fish farm. At first, we observed the placement of the dead fish in the

water and gathered our samples to analyze back at the lab. After analyzing the samples, we

discovered eutrophication occurred and was the result of the fish dying. According to Spellman

and Stoudt, when eutrophication occurs filamentous algae like Caldophora break loose in a pond,

lake, stream, or river and wash ashore and make their stinking, noxious presence known

(Spellman & Stoudt, 2013). The process of gathering samples and analyzing closer allowed us to

discover the cause of death and how to prevent this from occurring again.


Introduction

Sustaining our water resources from pollutants is extremely important for our aquatic

species and environment. There are many factors that contribute to the increasing waste issue in

our bodies of water. For example, human activity has a negative impact on our environmental

sustainability, primarily our water resources. In this lab report, we investigate the death of a

large number of fish at Trisha’s farm. Majority of the fish in Trisha’s farm were found dead with

lesions on the tail end of their body. The lab allowed us to examine and analyze the fish as well

as the water samples collected from the affected area. After testing the water samples, we

determined that eutrophication triggered toxic algal blooms, Pfiesteria. Pfiesteria is a powerful

toxin that caused the bleeding sores on the fish. Eutrophication is defined as an overgrowth of

nutrients and algal blooms which causes hypoxia, the ultimate cause of the suffocation of the

fish. According to our lab, eutrophication occurs when there is a dramatic or sudden increase in

, the growth factor for photosynthesis, such as nutrients. The main cause for eutrophication is

the



leaching of fertilizers from farm fields into the surrounding watershed, as well as sewage from

industrial and urban areas such as Alex’s cotton field.


Paragraph 2: Hypothesis (or plural form: Hypotheses)

My first hypothesis was, “If the water oxygen level is low, then the fish died of

suffocation”. Prior to the experiment, Trisha provided water quality data including

temperature, dissolved oxygen, and nitrogen levels. This led me to believe that the fish died

due to low oxygen levels. After taking a closer look at the dead fish, it was confirmed that the

dead fish presented lesions that resulted from toxins in the water. I hypothesize that if the water

contains microalgae, then the fish suffocated due to eutrophication.



Materials and Methods

Paragraph 1:

A microscope and spectrophotometry were utilized to take a closer look at the fish and

water. The spectrophotometry measures the intensity of light as transmitted or emitted by a

particular substance. It is used to determine the concentration of the molecules in the solution. In

this case we utilized the spectrophotometry to examine the nitrogen levels from the water

samples collected. Also, we utilized a blank which contains no analyte of interest. A blank

reference calibrates he spectrophotometer and sets the absorption of the solvent to zero. This

ensures the result relates only to the analyte and not to any other compound in the solvent.


The sampling process consisted of collecting only a portion of material for analytical

purposes. By analyzing the samples collected, we can see an accurate representation of the entire

population being sampled. It is important to put samples into the right containers to ensure the

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