BIO

My name is Katherine and I’m a sophomore from right here in Tallahassee. I am very passionate about our environment and enjoy researching it just as much as I do spending time in it. I plan to dedicate my professional career to conservation and protection via continued research. I plan to continue on with my education and hopefully get my Ph.D. I am especially drawn to the research of marine environments and hydrogeology. I also chose to major in environmental science because I believe that solving environmental issues is good for everything on the planet - people, plants, animals- and can have a much wider impact than we expect.

Effects of a cellulose mill on the Fenholloway estuary and coastal area

Abstract

The Fenholloway river is in northern Florida and has been polluted by a cellulose mill. The recent relocation of the mill’s wastewater pipeline to a location downriver may have adverse effects on the ecological health of the Fenholloway river estuary and the adjacent Gulf of Mexico. This study aims to assess meiofauna community abundance and biomass using nematodes and copepods. These organisms are known to be indicators of the ecological quality of sedimentary environments while playing key roles in ecosystem processes and functions. The study of these organisms investigates the ecological status of the Fenholloway estuary and provides insights into the effects of the relocation of the point discharge location on the environment when compared to samples taken before the pipeline installment.
Sediment samples were taken from 11 locations in the Fenholloway river, including near the new point discharge location, and further out towards the Gulf of Mexico. Sediment samples were also taken in the neighboring, unpolluted Econfina river following the same sampling scheme. The Econfina river system serves as a control for the Fenholloway due to similarities and proximity. The sediment samples were washed over stacked 500 µm and 63 µm sieves to separate the meiofauna. Nematodes and copepods were extracted using density separation, counted, and mounted on slides for measuring and biomass calculations.
Results for this study have not yet been obtained, so I am unable to conclude if the new location of the wastewater pipeline has had adverse effects on the health of the Fenholloway river estuary.

Keywords: environment, pollution, river