Barcode Long Island Team PMHS Fish Thicket
Program:
Barcode Long Island
Year:
2017-18
Research Topic:
Wildlife & health
Taxonomic Group Studied:
Animals: Invertebrate

Project:

The biodiversity of ants within the Fish Thicket Nature Preserve as an indicator species of potentially harmful pollutants
Students:
Anson Zhou, Justin Zhou
School:
Patchogue-Medford High School, Suffolk
Mentors:
Jennifer Gatz

Abstract:

The Long Island Pine Barrens, is a large area of publicly protected pine forest in Suffolk County, New York, that covers more than 100,000 acres of land. Contained within this is the Fish Thicket Nature Preserve, 100 acres of relatively untouched woodlands located in the town of Brookhaven. Ants offer a variety of research opportunities to study human health near the Fish Thicket Nature Preserve as they are an excellent example of indicator species - organisms that define certain traits or characteristics of the environment that they reside in. Ants living in the Fish Thicket are involved in multiple ecological processes including soil development, seed dispersal and nutrient cycling. Our goal is to be able to use the data collected (phenotype, DNA sequencing, abundance/density of population) to observe ant biodiversity possibly influenced by human pollution.

Poster:

DNA Barcoding Poster
View team poster (PDF/PowerPoint)

Team samples: