Effects of Water Pollution on Aquatic Organisms

• Science as inquiry (NSES Content Standard A)
• Structure and properties of matter (NSES Content Standard B)
• Behavior of organisms (NSES Content Standard C)
• Natural and human induced hazards (NSES Content Standard F)
• Assessment tasks are authentic (NSES Assessment Standard C)
• Curriculum coordinates with mathematics (NSES Program Standard C)

How does water pollution affect the life of aquatic organisms?   Inquiry problems posed to students under this theme may include topics in stream ecology, animal motion and behavior, pollution of water, and properties of water.  This site showcases a sample student inquiry activity using water striders (family  Gerridae ) which live and move on the surface of slow moving waters using the surface tension.  The activity investigates the effect of pollutants (in this case detergents) on the water strider’s ability to stand on the water.

Key Words:  Detergents, Locomotion, Riverine Ecosystems, Serial Dilutions, Stream Ecology, Stream Ecosystems, Surface Tension, Water Pollution,  Water Properties, Water Striders
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• Students will experience science as inquiry by applying the scientific method to investigate a problem (NSES Content Standard A);
• Students will develop an understanding of the behavior of organisms (NSES Content Standard C), of the structure and properties of matter (NSES Content Standard B), and of natural and human induced hazards (NSES Content Standard F).

• Life Science or Biology students (Grades 7-12)

Introducing the Inquiry Activity:

It is recommended that the teacher introduce the activity by first setting the stage for inquiry.  This may be done by:

1. brainstorming types of water pollution in streams;
2. brainstorming types of stream organisms;
3. asking questions about the possible effects of pollution on organisms;
4. allowing students to select specific organisms and pollutants;
5. guiding students in developing appropriate or testable questions & hypotheses;
6. assisting students in developing methods to test the hypotheses, collect the data, analyze the results and develop conclusions.

Required Student Prior Knowledge:

1. Care & Maintenance of Stream Organisms
2. Properties of Water (including surface tension)
3. Serial Dilutions
4. Stream Ecology

1. Many small stream organisms such as water striders can be easily collected from nearby streams or ponds;
2. Organisms may also be purchased from biological supply companies such as Carolina Biological (1-800-334-5551) or Ward's (1-800-962-2660).

1. Teachers should instruct students on the ethical use of live organisms in scientific investigations and on the safety procedures for handling and disposal if using hazardous chemicals in this investigation;
2. The use of video capture cards and digital or video cameras will be an advantage in motion experiments.

    Sample Student Lab:

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Students will present their data appropriately in the form of graphs.
Students will report their investigation, results and conclusions in the form of a written lab report.
Students will present the results of their investigation to the class.
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In this topic, the general problem posed concerns the effects of water pollution on aquatic life.   Under this general topic, many specific subtopics and questions may be developed for investigations and inquiry-type activities.  Pollution in water may range from thermal to chemical; aquatic organisms may be freshwater, estuarine or marine, and there are limitless types of organisms to investigate.  Effects of pollution may be any form of measurable or observable responses: behavioral, physiological or ecological.

The sample student lab presented here simply illustrates an instance of how students may select a specific question under a general theme and conduct an inquiry based investigation.

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References for the broad theme of pollution in aquatic organisms include but are not limited to:

Earth Systems: The Virtual Library - Environment (Hydrosphere) http://earthsystems.org/hyd.html

Environmental Education Link on the Internet. http://eelink.net

People for the Ethical treatment of Animals.  www.peta-online.org/index.html (a link to        ethical treatment of animals).
 
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