Chemical and biological impacts of migratory birds on small pond ecosystems

CHED 1102

Jamie Johnson, jjohnson6@washcoll.edu1, Anne E. Marteel-Parrish, amarteel2@washcoll.edu1, and Kathleen Verville2. (1) Department of Chemistry, Washington College, 300 Washington Ave., Chestertown, MD 21620, (2) Department of Biology, Washington College, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620
The Chester River Association (CRA) has been monitoring the health of the Chester River and its tributaries on Maryland's eastern shore. The CRA has uncovered that a tributary of the river, which originates in two ponds at a local nursery, has high levels of ammonia and orthophosphates. The nursery claims the contamination in these ponds is due to the large volume of migratory birds that inhabit the ponds during the fall and spring, and is not due to any fertilizers or pesticides. To investigate this claim, water samples will be collected from the ponds multiple times throughout the year, under varying weather conditions, and tested for pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature. An in-depth water analysis regarding orthophosphates, nitrates, sulfates, iron, and copper levels will be performed, along with an enumeration of fecal coliform bacteria. This data will be examined for trends that could identify the cause of this water contamination.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Environmental Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, March 26, 2007 Hyatt Regency Chicago -- Riverside Center, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 25-29, 2007