Project:

The Abundance of Invasive Seaweed Species Along Barrier Beaches

Students:

Sophie Ferolito, Anabelle Harris, Olivia Schubert

School:

St. Dominic High School, Nassau

Mentors:

Pamela Shanley

Abstract:

Seaweed is vital to the ecosystem of the barrier beaches of Long Island, providing essential nutrients, coastal protection, carbon storage, and agricultural fertilizer, which prove beneficial to ecosystems and organisms alike. However, invasive species of seaweeds can cause disruption in an environment, producing toxins, robbing resources from native plants, threatening water quality, and suffocating and killing the populations of other marine life due to hypoxia. This study aims to provide data to prove the abundance of invasive species of seaweed on the barrier beaches of Long Island. Moreover, data will be shown of specific species of invasive seaweed and where they are most likely found. This study will collect seaweed from Fire Island and Jones Beach to analyze the abundance of invasive versus native species, along with the usage of Simpson’s Index to indicate biodiversity. DNA will be isolated through silica extraction and the of the specific gene rbcL will be amplified through

Poster:

Team samples:

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