About

Students in Jane Orbuch's 12th grade biology class at San Lorenzo Valley High School became hands-on research scientists during the 2009/2010 school year. Ms. Orbuch created an "Environmental Monitoring" unit for her students, requiring that they become involved in existing local hands-on monitoring programs, with the help of mentors. Two of her students, Kelly Chesus and Joanna Coker, chose to participate in Phytoplankton Biodiversity Monitoring, with the support of Gregg Langlois from the California Department of Health Services, Susan Coale and Jenny Lane from UCSC, and Dr. Jason Smith from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.

The assignment was to sample phytoplankton from the water in Santa Cruz Harbor once a week. The students were to use a microscope to look for toxic phytoplankton species, and send samples to the Department of Health Services for analysis.

The result is an impressive 14-month time series of the phytoplankton community at the Santa Cruz Harbor. This data set is a valuable addition to the two long-running sampling programs that exist in Monterey Bay, at the Monterey Wharf and the Santa Cruz Wharf. The Harbor data helps paint a more accurate picture of phytoplankton ecology in the bay.

Photos

Phytoplankton sampling supplies

Joanna taking a net tow in the Santa Cruz harbor

Kelly testing turbiditiy with a secchi disk

Taking detailed field notes

Looking at phytoplankton under a microscope