Project:

Observing the Organisms Found in Sediments to Study Massapequa Preserve Biodiversity

Students:

Jaiya Arjune, Snowe Ma, Grace O'Daly, Emily Tesar

School:

Massapequa Ames High School, Nassau

Mentors:

August Eberling

Abstract:

Biodiversity has been on a decline as of the past several years. This phenomenon is observed more severely with the growth of urbanization, and the Massapequa Preserve is a site in which information about developing changes in biodiversity can be studied. Biodiversity is very important to maintain balance in ecosystems. Biodiversity is stated to be vital to humans’ health (Mareselle, 2021). As the Massapequa Preserve is affected by urbanization, being close to a largely populated area, studying and collecting samples in the area over a long period of time would assist in the identification and potential gains and losses of biodiversity. We collected organisms, mainly aquatic invertebrates, at the Massapequa Preserve. This has been done over the last six years and by using DNA barcoding, the specimens collected can be identified and analyzed to understand the development of species and biodiversity in relation to the urbanization of the area.

Poster:

Team samples: