Project:

Exploring the Biodiversity of Aquatic and Terrestrial Invertebrates Found in the Massapequa Preserve by Utilizing DNA Barcoding

Students:

Mackenzie DeBello, Zara Fox, Fiona Ash, Madelyn Dejak

School:

Massapequa High School Ames, Nassau

Mentors:

August Eberling

Abstract:

The primary objective of this project was to study the biodiversity of the Massapequa Preserve Creek to see the macroinvertebrates located in the water. Biodiversity is the variety of living things in a particular habitat or ecosystem. Biodiversity is important because the more biodiversity the more stable that the ecosystem will be. To do this, ten samples of macroinvertebrates were collected. To collect these samples students went into the water using waders and nets, with the nets students collected samples from the water and sediment and searched through it to find invertebrates. If something was found students took permanent recordings of location. After this students viewed the invertebrates under a microscope to try and determine the specific species of that invertebrate that was collected. To complete this experiment, research students used DNA barcoding and Sanger sequencing technology to identify the organisms.

Poster:

Team samples:

See all samples for project