Wanted Dead Not Alive

It is important to be aware of invasive plants in order to protect our local water bodies. Lewisville Lake is a very recreational lake, and if an invasive species contaminated the lake it would be nearly impossible to boat and all the fish would die. To prevent invasives, do not put aquarium plants into bodies of water and wash your boats when entering and re-entering different lakes.

Hawaiian monk seals

Monachus schauinslandi, the hawaiian monk seal, are an endangered species that reside in the Pacific Hawaiian oceans. They mate between December and August. Females reach maturity at age four and the fetus takes 9 months to develop. Prey on bony fish, cephalopoda, and crustaceans. Tiger and Galapagos sharks are both predators. Fishing and entanglement are main human threats to these animals. The monk seal is part of the Phocidae family. They shed their hair and outer skin layer in an annual molt. This is one of the two remaining monk seal species; the other being the mediterranean monk seal.

Bob Ballard

I did not know that 50% of our country lies beneath the sea, we have better maps of Mars, the ocean ridge covers 23% of the world, the rift valley is 9,000 feet deep, and there are actually active volcanoes beneath the sea. Bob Ballard thinks exploring the ocean is important so people can understand and appreciate its beauty, and that most of it is still undiscovered. He is trying to explain that we are too busy trying to crack the mysteries of outer space that we don't realize we still haven't discovered everything our oceans have to offer.

Dragonfly

The dragonfly is scientifically called Odonata. It resides in every continent except antarctica and is found in freshwater ecosystems. They lay eggs in water which hatch into wingless naiads. They are a predator to mosquitos and aren't usually the prey, even as babies. Odonata have been around since the dinosaurs, used to have meter long wingspans, and have special extending mouths. 

Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (Naegleria fowleri)

This is a single-celled ameba. It goes through 3 morphic phases- Trophozoite, flagellate, and cyst. This ameba lives in warm freshwater and soil. It infects the brain and destroys brain tissue. It causes flu-like symptoms that then transform into more severe symptoms such as seizures and hallucinations. Treatment is unclear and this infection is always fatal. Although it is rare, you can prevent this disease by limiting water up your nose and staying away from dirty, neglected freshwater.

Dissolved Oxygen Demonstration

This demonstration included four bottles. We recorded the time, date, dissolved oxygen, temperature, conductivity, and pH of each bottle. We used special tools to record the dissolved oxygen. We also found that DO and temp are directly correlated to the environmental factors 

Dichotomous Key

dichotomous keys are important when trying to figure out what type of substance you are working with with what little information you are given