Project:

An Investigation of Algal Blooms at Turtle Pond in Central Park, New York City, NY

Students:

Maxwell Selver, Isabel Dubov

School:

Tenafly HS, Other

Mentors:

anat firnberg

Abstract:

This past summer, an epidemic of algal bloom swept through Northern New Jersey and Southern New York State lakes. This caused some lakes, including Lake Hopatcong, Turtle Pond, and Greenwood Lake, to shut down due to high levels of cyanobacteria, the bacterium which causes algal blooms. Algal bloom can severely damage water quality and lower the oxygen levels in the lake. Most aquatic life tends to thrive in water with a pH between 7.0 and 9.0. In patches of algal bloom, blue-green algae remove acidic CO2 from the water while performing photosynthesis. Hydroxide levels are increased as a result, which increases the pH and makes the water slightly basic, making the environment even more inhospitable. In this study, we hope to find a correlation between the algae in the bloom and the pH, nitrate, and phosphate levels of the water.

Poster:

Team samples: