Geochemistry & Ecology of Red Mat
Systems (GERMS)
Undergraduate Summer Research Program
Week One – Practice
Representative Water Analysis
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Introduction: This is a picture of the Luckiamute
river water that was collected at Helmick park for
practicing purposes before we head to |
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Site Documentation:
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Picture of Luckiamute river at Helmick
park in |
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Picture of Maria and I collecting water for water chemistry at the Luckiamute river. |
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Field Chemical Test Methods
and Results (AccuVac)- Site:
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Methods: The AccuVac test kit will
read the amount of chemicals in the water. |
The AccuVac
testing kit |
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Results: |
Temperature: 17.5 C
pH: 5.5 |
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Total Chlorine |
0.01mg/L |
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Chromium |
0.01mg/L |
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Molybdenum |
0.00mg/L |
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Nitrate |
0.90mg/L |
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Nitrite |
0.01mg/L |
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Sulfate |
0.00mg/L |
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Sulfide |
0.01mg/L |
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Representative Pigment
and Microscopic Analysis Methods and Results: Practice on dissection and
pigment analysis of frozen Fairy sample from last year
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Methods: The methanol extraction of pigment will yield pure
pigment and the bead-beating extraction will yield pigment plus the
protein. The bead-beating is an in
vivo process. |
Preparing the mat samples
from Fairy for methanol and bead beading processes |
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Using the
spectrophotometer, we were able to read the amount of pigment found in our
samples. |
Maria and the spectrophoto- meter. |
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Results: These pictures were taken of an old mat sample from
Fairy that we practiced on dissecting for the first week. I dissected the Red layer.
Image – Visible Light, Red Layer
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10X |
40X |
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Image – F Fluorescence, Red Layer
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10X |
40X |
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Image – R Fluorescence, Red Layer
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10X |
40X |
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Discussion:
Week
1 was spent practicing the water collection and filtration, water chemistry,
and mat dissection skills that we will need while in the field at