BIO

I have a passion for research and being able to gain more knowledge about topics I am unfamiliar with. I have done research in the past in psychology and microbiology; however, this is my first project in marine biology. I am a sophomore from Orlando, Florida majoring in Neuroscience, minoring in Chemistry, and acquiring a certificate in Leadership Studies. When I graduate, I plan on attending medical school.

Measuring Suspended Solids at Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) Reefs in Apalachicola Bay

Abstract

The Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) population has steadily declined in Apalachicola Bay over the last decade due to a multitude of factors. A causative factor behind the C. virginica population decline may be linked to the amount of suspended sediment at each reef. Suspended sediment is the continuous transportation and deposition of sediment throughout the water. To identify areas of higher and lower sediment load, water samples (surface and bottom) were taken opportunistically while performing subtidal oyster research in Apalachicola Bay. Each water sample was centrifuged, suspended sediment was extracted, dried, and weighed. Water quality parameters such as salinity values were considered, and the Oyster presence was recorded at each site. The results have revealed that the sedimentation loads vary spatially among the presence of Oysters at each reef. It was recorded that the amount of sediment was higher at the bottom sample where each reef was located and higher when samples were taken closer to the Apalachicola Bay River. The higher total suspended sediment may be partly to blame for the lack of reef structure and the absence of C. virginica. This may lead to further investigation on how the quantity of sedimentation may affect the condition of C. virginica and the effect on the reef structures.

Keywords: Sediment, Oysters, and Marine Biology