Project:

Measuring the Biodiversity of Freshwater Invertebrates in Ponds With and Without Duckweed Blooms at Shu Swamp, Mill Neck, NY

Students:

Katherine Goldstein, Daniella Berritto

School:

Friends Academy, Nassau

Mentors:

Jennifer Newitt

Abstract:

Duckweed blooms can be a major threat to waters. For example, “The water separates into warmer, oxygen-producing surface levels and colder, oxygen-consuming lower levels, due to shade from surface vegetation. Thus, the colder bottom layer that lacks oxygen accumulates potentially toxic compounds. Fish kills, reduced fish growth and physiological stress can occur when this bottom layer is mixed too rapidly with the rest of the pond, known as turnover. This happens often after heavy rain or wind. In addition, excess algae and duckweed reduces sunlight penetration, and thus causes the elimination of other vegetation, unbalancing the ecosystem. ” (Algae and Duckweed: The costs and benefits. July 2020) Duckweed blooms cause harmful gasses to trap underneath the thick layer of duckweed, and sunlight is blocked. Therefore, disrupting photosynthesis and disrupting the food chain. However, there are also studies that show that duckweed is beneficial to ponds. For example, “Although filame

Poster:

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