Project:

The Diversity of Mosses in Glen Cove

Students:

Jolie Prezeau, Grace Guillen, Nina Sposato, Natalia Piasta

School:

Glen Cove High School,

Mentors:

Kerry Bunyan

Abstract:

In our research project, we are looking to see how moss is affected by different types of environments. In addition to our primary topic, we are also studying how the environment is affected by moss. We aim to learn more about our environment through local plants. We will be going around the Glen Cove High School campus to collect our moss samples. Samples will be scraped off of trees and off the ground as well as taken up from the dirt. Our gene of interest is rbcL. Some moss species we believe we could have discovered are spoon-leaved moss and juniper moss. Based on our research, we hypothesize that the samples we find in moist environments will be of better quality, having brighter colors and healthier leaves; moss found in dry environments will be less healthy and shriveled. We also believe that the environment will be in better conditions in areas with lots of moss due to its impact on the ecosystem.

Poster:

Team samples: