Revised Independent Component

I am hoping to complete my independent component at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, in San Pedro. I've finished ten hours already, and I'm already in the system for the aquarium.
While volunteering, they had me clean tanks, install tanks, feed jellyfish, and tidy up around the research facility. I really enjoy working with the people there, because they're around my age, but they have so much knowledge regarding marine life, and the components that I want to study.
I'm thankful to Elijah for allowing me to do the hours with him, and I will continue to post about my progress.

Blog 5b: Science Fair Proposal

1.) What is your topic?

• Marine Conservation Biology

2.) What is the driving problem behind your experiment and the quote by an expert to support this problem?

• Pollution in the ocean is the driving problem behind my experiment.
• "You wouldn't think you could kill an ocean, would you? But we'll do it in one day. That's how negligent we are."- Ian Rankin

3.) What is your hypothesis?

• If the pollution of the boat launch increases due to the anthropogenic activity, then the amount of zooplankton found in a plankton-tow would be less than the outer beach, which doesn't have as much outside pollution acting upon it.

4.) Write a paragraph summary of how you will perform the experiment.

• I would be collecting samples from the docks, and the outer beach, and comparing their salinity levels and the amount of zooplankton that I find.
• First, I'd go out to boat launch and collect data by doing a plankton-tow for Day 1. Then, I would go to the outer beach and collect data for Day 1 by doing a plankton-tow. Lastly, I would bring my data back to the lab, and test the waters using a refractometer, and then use the microscope to compare the amount of zooplankton found in the two different sites.

5.) Project Category

• Chemistry/ Ecology and Environmental Management

Possible Change in Topic

After discussing a few things with Mr. Purther, and Mrs. Pittman, I thought about changing my topic to environmental law. I realized that it might be even harder to find a mentor that works with environmental law, than a mentor that works with marine conservation. I have yet to decide on whether I will choose, but I'm sure I'll have the answer after my meeting with the teachers on Monday.

Blog 9: Working EQ and Possible Answers

1) What was the working EQ you used during your presentation?

• How can you effectively counter the anthropogenic effects dealt to the ocean?

2) Did you decide to revise your working EQ after your presentation?

• I have not yet decided to revise my working EQ. I was thinking about doing so, after one of my interviewees told me that there really isn't a way to reverse the damage that's already been done, but the only thing we can do is prevent further damage.

(3) What are possible answers to your current working EQ?

• Well, one of the best answers that I found was there isn't a way to counter the effects already done to the ocean, but we can prevent further damage.
• Another would be, making the problems that we're having more aware to people, so that they understand the critical nature of preserving the oceans.