Project:

The Effects of Sandy on Biodiversity in Gerritsen Beach

Students:

Felix Tse, Eva Justo, Alexander Chong

School:

Brooklyn Technical HS,

Mentors:

Risa Parlo

Abstract:

In late October of 2012, Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the Northeast Coast of the United States. The hurricane caused the devastation to a vast amount of the agricultural habitats in New York City and introduced various plant species that originated from adjacent states including New Jersey and Connecticut . Gerritsen Beach is one of several locations in NYC that was impacted by the storm. The hurricane introduced foreign organisms and eliminated local ones. We believe that after the storm there should be an ecological recovery in the various affected ecosystems. The re-growth of plant species would indicate that there is ecological recovery. Relative root lengths will indicate the age of the plant; shorter roots will be inferred to belong to younger, re-growing plants while those with longer roots are older and withstood the storm4. By sequencing the DNA of the collected samples, we will gain a better understanding of the identities of the growing and remnant species.

Poster:

Team samples: