ProposalHernán Méndez

UPR-CayeyRISE-Summer Bridge Program

Sunday, July 14, 13

The Best Quantity of the Nutrients Phosphate and Potassium for the

Gambierdiscus toxicus to Create a Harmful Bloom.

Sunday, July 14, 13

Introduction*

✤ Dinoflagellates are a group of flagellate unicellular protist which are considered to be a type of algae.

✤ Some dinoflagellates have characteristics of both plants and animals. They can photosynthesize, but they are also mobile.

✤ Dinoflagellates reproduce both asexually, by dividing and sexually, by combining with another member of its species and forming a zygote. The zygote releases substances that cause it to be enclosed within a cyst.

*http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/dinoflagellate.html

Sunday, July 14, 13

Introduction*

✤ Harmful Algae Blooms(HAB)*

✤ Is the quick uncontrollable growth of algae.

✤ Algal blooms can deplete the oxygen and block the sunlight that other organisms need to live, and some can produce toxins that are harmful to the health of the environment.

✤ It also can cause ciguatera which is poisoning by eating infected fish.

✤ Mainly caused by the Gambierdiscus toxicus

*http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/hab/default.htmSunday, July 14, 13

Introduction*

✤ Gambierdiscus toxicus

✤ Is a Dinoflagellate found in the Caribbean and in all the tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

✤ It releases 2 toxins : Ciguatoxin and Maitotoxin.

*http://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/pmn/_docs/Factsheets/Factsheet_Gambierdiscus.pdf

Sunday, July 14, 13

Inquiry

✤ Will different quantities of potassium and phosphate affect the population growth of Gambierdiscus toxicus and create a Harmful Algal Bloom?

Sunday, July 14, 13

Hypothesis

✤ The quantity of the nutrients Potassium and Phosphate will affect the population growth of the Gambierdiscus toxicus

✤ Large quantities will cause a HAB*.

Sunday, July 14, 13

Objectives

✤ To know what quantity of phosphorous or potassium is needed for the Gambierdiscus toxicus to create a HAB*.

✤ To know what quantity of the combination of both nutrients is needed to create a HAB*.

✤ Long term- To create a Standard chart with the data , which people can use to know if the water is safe for fishing or for any kind of activity.

✤ Long term-Prevent in any kind of way the harms caused by the HAB*

Sunday, July 14, 13

Materials

✤ Spectrophotometer

✤ Phosphate

✤ Potassium

✤ Salt Water

✤ UV light lamp

✤ “Fish Tank”

✤ Thermometer

Sunday, July 14, 13

Methodology

✤ We will have a fish tank filled with salt water , the water will be maintained at 78 Farenheith .

✤ The UV light lamp will be on and giving UV radiation to the fish tank.

✤ The Gambierdiscus toxicus will be in the fish tank.

✤ There will be 6 fish tanks , one negative control group with no nutrients , and the other 5 will be the experimental group.

Sunday, July 14, 13

Methodology

✤ Control will be the “A tank.”

✤ Potassium only will be the“B tank”.

✤ Phosphate only will be the “C tank”.

✤ More Potassium than Phosphate will be the “D tank”.

✤ More Phosphate than Potassium will be the “E tank”.

✤ Same quantity of Potassium and Phosphate will be the “F tank”.

Sunday, July 14, 13

Methodology(“Tank A”)

✤ Gambierdiscus toxicus will be inserted in the saltwater .

✤ We will examine the growth of the population with a spectrophotometer 2 times a day.

*http://www.academicjournals.org/jece/pdf/pdf2011/August/Rodrigues%20et%20al.pdf

Sunday, July 14, 13

Methodology*

Sunday, July 14, 13

Methodology(“Tank B”)

✤ Gambierdiscus toxicus is inserted in the saltwater.

✤ Every day we will add 2mg of potassium.

✤ 2 times a day we will measure the population density with the spectrophotometer.

Sunday, July 14, 13

Methodology (“Tank C”)

✤ Gambierdiscus toxicus is inserted in saltwater.

✤ We will add 2mg of phosphate every day.

✤ 2 times a day we will measure the population density with the spectrophotometer.

Sunday, July 14, 13

Methodology(“Tank D”)

✤ Gambierdiscus toxicus will be inserted in the saltwater .

✤ We will add everyday 1mg of phosphate and 2 mg of potassium.

✤ 2 times a day we will measure the population density with the spectrophotometer.

Sunday, July 14, 13

Methodology(“Tank E”)

✤ Gambierdiscus toxicus will be inserted in the saltwater .

✤ We will add everyday 1mg of potassium and 2mg of phosphate.

✤ 2 times a day we will measure the population density with the spectrophotometer.

Sunday, July 14, 13

Methodology(“Tank F”)

✤ Gambierdiscus toxicus will be inserted in the saltwater .

✤ We will add everyday 2mg of phosphate and 2 mg of potassium.

✤ 2 times a day we will measure the population density with the spectrophotometer.

Sunday, July 14, 13

Methodology

✤ After having all the data we will , analyze it and compare it in a chart and get to a conclusion.

✤ The conclusion will help to determine if the hypothesis was accepted or not , if the objectives were covered and what to improve in the methodology etc.

Sunday, July 14, 13

Expected Results

✤ The expected results are that when we add more nutrients in the water there will be notable change in the population density of the Gambierdiscus toxicus.

Sunday, July 14, 13

Other Reference

✤ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/ency/article/002851.htm

✤ http://www.cop.noaa.gov/stressors/extremeevents/hab/current/abs_ECOHAB.aspx

✤ http://www.seagrantpr.org/catalog/files/fact_sheets/60-ciguatera.pdf

✤ http://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?pid=s0034-77442004000500011&script=sci_arttext

✤ http://search.proquest.com.uprcdb.cayey.upr.edu:2048/docview/1335051439/13F31C32035705F7969/3?accountid=44829

Sunday, July 14, 13

Thank You!Have a Great Day!

Sunday, July 14, 13