The Effect of pH on the Decalcification of Barbatia Candidia
Environmental Studies
Caroline Lasch
Emi McKnight
- Grade:
- 10
- Teacher:
- Elyse Wexler
This experiment observes how ocean acidification, caused by anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, affects decalcification in mollusks. The methodology of this project involved submerging White Ark Clam shells, purchased from a local craft store, in solutions of vinegar and water, each with a different ph. The independent variable was the pH of the solution, and the dependent variable was the weight of the sample shell. After three days the shells were weighed, and the loss of grams was recorded and graphed with a r^2 value.
Good use of statistics to express your results. Well controlled experiment. Were your clam shells shell from clams that were from fresh water or sea water? Did you get to test the acidity of real sea water or not. Fun experiment, and yes, I feel sorry for the clam in your acknowledgment too! Good project. Keep up the good work.
This project clearly shows the impact to mollusk shells in acidic water and reinforces the need to pay close attention to changes in the ocean. The result in Trial 2 was really interesting and shows that a damaged shellfish could be even more impacted by acidic water. Your graphs were really clear and compelling! Well done.