Project:

Freshwater Sponge Biodiversity in Van Cortlandt Park

Students:

Iva Knezevic, Naomi Habtu, Dalia Kaplan, Annie Mitnick

School:

Ethical Culture Fieldston School, The Bronx

Mentors:

Howard Waldman

Abstract:

The purpose of this project is to discover the species of the unidentified freshwater sponges in Tibbet’s Brook. We will not only decipher the type(s) of sponge(s) in Tibbet’s Brook but also see how these species influence the ecosystem. While doing so we also plan to test the amount of pollution in the water by finding: pH, nitrates, phosphorus, and coliform bacteria levels in the lake. All of these tests will help us to see if there is a correlation between sponge species and water quality in Van Cortlandt Park.

Poster:

Team samples: