The Whitney Laboratory is diving into the world of plankton with the launch of a citizen science opportunity for local high school students. The Phytoplankton Monitoring Project is a collaboration between the Whitney Lab and Matanzas High School students who visit the lab once a month to collect water samples in the Matanzas Estuary. The lab's K-12 docents also participate in the program.
Students are looking for phytoplankton or "plant like plankton" found in the estuary. The goal of the project is to identify all of the plankton caught with a focus on species known to produce toxins.
Students tow special nets through the water to collect the plankton. They also use thermometers and refractometers to collect water temperature and salinity, and have access to a research grade microscope.
"The Whitney Laboratory is excited to offer this hands-on science opportunity and help local students learn about the Matanzas Estuary's smallest residents!" said Madeline McDonald, Whitney Lab Education Program Coordinator. "This impactful monitoring helps us keep record of the potentially harmful phytoplankton found in our waterways."
Image: Non-harmful plankton found in waterway near the lab