Project:

Nuisance Organisms and their Effects on a Baseball Field

Students:

Paige Garrett, Emma Albert

School:

Westhampton Beach High School, Suffolk

Mentors:

Frank Diehl

Abstract:

This experiment will focus on the biodiversity of a drainage ditch behind a baseball field. This drainage ditch is a breeding ground for nuisance organisms. Organisms will be collected and DNA barcoded to observe the biodiversity of the area. If nuisance organisms such as mosquitoes, black flies, stable flies, chiggers, ticks, and deer flies are found in high quantities then the drainage ditch could be a danger for people that use the baseball field. The nuisance organisms can serve as harmful vectors of disease or cause painful bites.

Poster:

Team samples: