Evaluation of Coral Health in Baja California Sur, Mexico
Category: Research Poster
Author(s): Caroline Driskell, Leah Hasstedt, Magnolia Baroli, Avery Kruger
Presenter(s): Caroline Driskell
Mentors(s): Diane Wright
Coral reefs are ecologically and economically important ecosystems that have declined as a result of many anthropogenic stressors. Coral habitats are a hotspot of biodiversity and home to many organisms, to which bleaching and destruction are an imminent threat. Our study investigates whether differences in water quality, using dissolved oxygen levels as a measurement contributing to coral health. We compared dissolved oxygen content in healthy and unhealthy regions of a coral reef by collecting water samples from shallow, medium, and deep depths in each region. Using a Dissolved Oxygen Analyzer and CTD instrument, we measured dissolved oxygen, depth, temperature, and salinity. Sampling was repeated twice over two days. The health of the sampled reef regions was determined by using the University of Queensland Coral Health Chart. No significant statistical difference was found between the test areas. We suggest future research should be done in a controlled lab environment and not in the open ocean where differences could be hidden by the constant movement of water.