ThINK Discovery Science Research students from High School East, coordinated by Ms. Maria Zeitlin, recently returned to conduct citizen science along the Nissequogue River. Part of a multi-school collaboration with Brookhaven National Laboratory, the Central Pine Barren Commission, the Suffolk County Water Authority, and the NYS DEC, this annual STEM activity takes a longitudinal look at the health of our local estuary.
East students were divided into 4 groups and worked in teams to collect data. One group used a seine net to record counts as they catched and released fish, crabs, and any organisms present in the water. Another group recorded physical measurements such as tidal movement, wind speed, and air and water temperatures.
A site description was done by students who recorded animal species present as well as a sketch of the site. Finally, a group of students conducted a chemical analysis for dissolved oxygen, salinity, cloudiness, and contaminants such as nitrates and phosphates.
