DissolvedOxygenwithVaryingDepth,Temperature,andSalinity

Date:
August27,2015

LabPartners:
PatrishaCarter,KylarHanley,AndreaJansen,andJordanJohnson

Introduction
:
Whenstudyingdissolvedoxygenitispivotaltotakeintoconsiderationthemultiple
variablesthatcanaffecttheamountofD.O.produced.Thesefactorsincludethetemperatureof
theenvironment,thesalinity,andthedepth(whichisalsoknownaslightintensity).Beforebeing
abletoexperimentandobservetheD.O.amountthereareseveraltermsthathavetobediscussed
inordertofullycomprehendthelab.First,grossprimaryproductivityisthetotalamountof
energymadebyautotrophs.Theautotrophsholdontosomeofthisenergyinordertosustain
theirownlivesintheprocessofcellularrespiration,whereorganismsproduceenergyand
releaseothermolecules,suchasoxygen.Whattheproducersdon'tuseisconsiderednetprimary
productivity,whichrepresentsthetotalamountofenergyavailabletoconsumers.NPP(Net
PrimaryProductivity)isactuallymeasuredbysubtractingtheamountofenergyittakesto
completecellularrespirationfromtheoverallamountofenergyproducedbyautotrophs,gross
primaryproductivity.Primaryproductivitycanalsobemeasuredbytheamountofdissolved
oxygeninthewater.Overall,thelaballowstheparticipanttoseehowtheabioticfactors(e.g.
lightintensity)andbioticfactors(e.g.algae)affecttheamountofdissolvedoxygenintheaquatic
environments.

PurposeoftheLab
Thepurposeofthisexperimentistorevealhowabiotic(e.g.lightintensity)andbioticfactors
(e.g.algae)affectthedissolvedoxygenlevelsinthelakewaterandessentiallytheprimary
productivityoftheorganisms.

ExperimentalDesign:
QuestionHowdodifferentabioticfactorsimpactdissolvedoxygenlevelsinvariouswater
samples?
Hypothesis
ExampleA(Temperature):Asthetemperaturedecreases,theD.O.(DissolvedOxygen)level
willincreaseinthewater.
ExampleB(Salinity):Asthesalinityincreases,theD.O.(DissolvedOxygen)levelwilldecrease
inthewater.
ExampleC(Depth):Asthelightintensitydecreases,theD.O.(DissolvedOxygen)levelwill
decreaseinthewater.
Variables

IndependentVariable:
ExampleA(Temperature):Temperature.
ExampleB(Salinity):LevelofSalinity.
ExampleC(Depth):LightIntensity.
DependentVariable:
DissolvedOxygen.
Controls:
ExampleA(Temperature):RoomTemperature.
ExampleB(Salinity):Freshwater.
ExampleC(Depth):TheInitialValue.
Constant:
ExampleA(Temperature):Sameamountofwater(20mL),Sameamountofeach
chemicalsfromtheLaMotteD.O.testkit(thiosulfate,starch,iodine),lightintensity.
ExampleB(Salinity):Sameamountofwater(20mL),Sameamountofchemicalsfrom
theLaMotteD.O.testkit(thiosulfate,starch,iodine).
ExampleC(Depth):Sameamountofwater(20mL),Sameamountofchemicalsfromthe
LaMotteD.O.testkit(thiosulfate,starch,iodine).
Safety:
Wearingtheproperprotectivegear(i.e.goggles,rubbergloves,closedtoedshoes).
Pulllonghairupandsecureanybaggyclothingorloosejewelry.
Rinseandcleanbottlesandotherequipmentafterusingchemicals.
Washhandswithsoapandwateraftercompletionoftheexperiment.
Materials:
SeeLabHandout
Procedure:
"SeeLabHandout"

Results:
Table1:Temperature
Temperature

LabGroupD.O. ClassMean
(ppm)
D.O.(ppm)

LabGroup%
D.O.Saturation
(from
nomogram)

ClassMean%
Saturation(from
nomogram)

20

6.4

83

65.5

14

7.1

7.1

65

69

Table2:Salinity

Salinity

LabGroupD.O. ClassMean
(ppm)
D.O.(ppm)

LabGroup%
D.O.Saturation

ClassMean%
D.O.Saturation

0ppt

6.6

6.45

72

70

32ppt

4.6

53

61

Table3:Respiration

LabGroupData

ClassMeanData

InitialD.O.

6.8

6.1

DarkBottleD.O.

3.8

RespirationRate(Initial
Dark)

2.8

2.3

Table4:LabGroupDataProductivityofScreenWrappedSamples
%Light

D.O.(ppm)

GrossProductivity
(LightBottleDark
Bottle)

NetProductivity
(LightBottleInitial
Bottle

100%

6.7

2.7

0.1

65%

5.4

1.4

1.4

25%

5.2

1.3

1.6

10%

0.8

2%

6.6

2.6

0.2

Table5:ClassMeanDataProductivityofScreenWrappedSamples
%Light

GrossProductivityD.O.
(ppm)

NetProductivityD.O.(ppm)

100%

2.65

0.1

65%

1.55

1.0

25%

1.15

1.4

10%

1.35

1.2

2%

1.285

1.4

GraphingExerciseAforWaterTemperature

GraphingExerciseCforLightIntensity:


Conclusion:
DiscussionQuestions
1. Threewaysprimaryproductivitycanbemeasuredisbycalculatingtheproductionof
oxygen(O2),amountofcarbondioxide(CO2),andproductionofglucose(C6H12O6).
2. Astheamountofdissolvedoxygenincreases,sodoestheamountofcarbon.Thisis
becausecarbonisacomponentofglucose(chemicalenergy)whichiscreatedduring
photosynthesis.Theamountofoxygenisusedtocalculatehowmuchchemicalenergyis
producedthroughphotosynthesis.Inourlab,foreachmilliliterofoxygenproduced,
approximately0.536milligramsofcarbonhasbeenassimilated.At100%lightintensity
theamountofcarbonassimilationwouldbe0.0374mg/L.
3. Onaverage,whenthetemperaturedecreasetheamountofD.O.(DissolvedOxygen)will
increasebecausewaterwithacoldertemperaturetendstocontainshigherlevelsofD.O..
4. Onaverage,whenthesalinityincreases,theD.O.(DissolvedOxygen)willdecrease.This
occursbecausethedissolvedoxygenbecomeslesssolubleasthesalinityincreases.
5. a)Therewillbenogrossproductivityat0%lightintensity.b)Therewillbenonet
productivityat100%(98%whencalculated)lightintensity.
6. Duetodifferencesintheproductionofoxygenonlandandinthesea,mammalsuseless
energythanfishdoforrespiratoryprocesses.Morespecifically,theairhasahigher
oxygencontentthantheoceandoes,whichcausethefishtospendmoreenergyacquiring
theneededamountoxygen.Thisphenomenonismostlikelyduetothefactthattrees,
havealargersizeandareabletoproducealargeramountofoxygenthanthesmallalgae
organismsthatliveintheaquaticenvironment.
7. ThelakewouldhavealowerD.O.levelthanthatofthestream.Aerationaidesinthe
amountofdissolvedoxygeninthestreamduetoitsmovement.Theshallownessofthe
streamalsoallowsthelighttoeasilypenetrateitandbytheprocessofphotosynthesis,the
autotrophsareabletoproducemoreoxygenandchemicalenergy.
8. Becausethelakewouldhavebeenintroducedtomoresunlightlaterintheday,more
photosynthesiscouldoccur.Inturn,theD.O.concentrationofwaterwouldbelower
earlierinthemorningatseventhanatfiveintheevening,becausetheorganismswould
havehadmoreresourcestoproduceoxygen.
9. Eutrophicationisdefinedasanunnaturalprocessofaddingnutrientstoaquatic
environments,andisusuallyaresultofhumanactivity.Thiscanbedetrimentaltothe
aquaticenvironment,becausetheadditionalamountofnitrogenandphosphoruscan
causealgaetodieanddecreasetheproductionofoxygen.Furthermore,whenthethe
levelofthechemicalsreachesadangerousamountitcankilloffentirepopulationsand
throwoffthecarboncycle.

10. Initially,FishBowlAwillhavemoreoxygenavailableforthefishbecauseithasthe
biggervolumeofwater.Overtime,however,FishBowlBwillhavemoreoxygen
availablebecauseofitsgreatercontactwiththeairduetoalargersurfacearea.
ParagraphDiscussion
Thefirsthypothesisexpressedthatwhentemperaturedecreasesdissolvedoxygen
increaseswascorrect.Inourdata,whenthetemperaturedecreasedthedissolvedoxygen
increasedbysmallamounts.Byreceivingdissolvedoxygendataat20degreesCelsiusand14
degreesCelsius,thelabgroupsawthattheoxygenincreasedfrom7to7.1respectively.By
lookingatthedataforthesalinitylab,oursecondhypothesiswascorrect.Whenthewaterisat0
pptsalinitythedissolvedoxygenisat6.6ppm,andwhenthewaterisat32pptsalinitythe
dissolvedoxygenisat4ppm.Ourdatademonstratesthatwhensalinityincreasesthedissolved
oxygendecreases.Ourthirdhypothesiswascorrectbecauseintable5asthelightincreasesthe
dissolvedoxygendecreases.Thedepthofthelakeisafactorthataffectsthedissolvedoxygen
levelspresentinthatlake.Asthelakegetsdeeper,lesslightwillbeabletoreachthatdepth.This
inturndoesn'tgivetheautotrophsthatlivedeeperinthelaketheresourcestocreateoxygen
throughtheprocessofphotosynthesis.

Whileconductingthelabthereareseveralpossibleerrorsthatcouldhaveoccurred.For
example,therecouldhavebeensmallairbubbleswhenfillingthesamplebottles.Thiscould
resultinaninaccuratemeasureofoxygeninthesamplewhenmeasuringitwiththevarious
chemicals.Anotherpossibleerrorwouldbeastudentmisreadingthepipet,whichmeansthatan
incorrectamountofchemicalscouldhavebeenadded.Thismistakecouldresultinimprecise
data,especiallyduringthelaststepwhencalculatingtheamountofdissolvedoxygeninthe
sample.Also,notshakingthetubewhenaddingthefinalchemicalwouldgiveaninaccurate
depictionofhowmuchdissolvedoxygenwasinthesample.Inaddition,therearealsoadditional
questionsthatwouldbehelpfultofurtherexplore.Forexample,ifwechangedthesourceof
waterwouldthishaveaneffectontheamountofdissolvedoxygen?Couldthespecifictypeof
algaefoundinoursampleaffecttheamountofdissolvedoxygen?Finally,howcanwetestthe
amountofcarbonusedortheamountofglucoseproducedwhenlookingattheprocessof
photosynthesishappeninginoursample?

References:
Campbell,Neil,JaneReece,LisaUrry,MichaelCain,StevenWasserman,PeterMinorsky,and
RobertJackson.Biology.Eighthed.SanFrancisco:BenjaminCummings,2008.Print.

ScienceDaily.ScienceDaily.Web.2Sept.2015.
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/ewutrophication.htm>.

Web.2Sept.2015.<http://www.biologyjunction.comap_sample_lab_12_dissolved_oxyge.htm>.