The Great Plankton Race!
A Neutral Buoyancy Challenge
Studying the effects of different adaptations used by zoo-plankton
This lab was about adaptations of and zoo-plankton and how those effect their daily lives and how they hunt the phytoplankton that live on the surface. In this lab we had to design plankton that would (ideally) be neutrally buoyant or slowly sink to the bottom of the tank If a object has a density equal to that of water (1gm per cubic centimeter) then that object will neither float nor sink, but remain suspended in the water, being neutrally buoyant.
The purpose of this lab is to see how different types of naturally-occurring adaptations of plankton (flagella, air bladders, antennae, etc.) would benefit the neutral buoyancy of our home-made plankton in the test tank.
The purpose of this lab is to see how different types of naturally-occurring adaptations of plankton (flagella, air bladders, antennae, etc.) would benefit the neutral buoyancy of our home-made plankton in the test tank.
Photic Zone: The depth of water in a lake or ocean that is exposed to sufficient sunlight to photosynthesize.
Plankton: Small organisms that float or drift in great numbers in bodies of salt of fresh water; a primary food source for many animals, and consists of bacteria, protozoans, algae, cnidarians, tiny crustaceans such as copepods, and many other organisms.
Benthic: Non-floating plankton
Planktonic: Floating in the water column; planktonic diatoms are typically centric, or round.
Phytoplankton: A type of plankton (drifting marine organism that makes up the foundation of the marine food web) that relies on photosynthesis. This group is comprised of mostly of single-celled algae, diatoms, and bacteria.
Zooplankton: A type of plankton that feeds on phytoplankton.
Adaptations: Any physical or behavioral trait that allows an organism to better survive in its environment.
Cilia: Hair-like extensions found on plankton, to help them move and catch food.
Flagella: Tails found on dinoflagellates, a type of plankton.
Surface Area: The total area of all the faces and curved surface of a solid object.
Density: Mass per unit of volume; a measure of the relative "heaviness" of objects.
Plankton: Small organisms that float or drift in great numbers in bodies of salt of fresh water; a primary food source for many animals, and consists of bacteria, protozoans, algae, cnidarians, tiny crustaceans such as copepods, and many other organisms.
Benthic: Non-floating plankton
Planktonic: Floating in the water column; planktonic diatoms are typically centric, or round.
Phytoplankton: A type of plankton (drifting marine organism that makes up the foundation of the marine food web) that relies on photosynthesis. This group is comprised of mostly of single-celled algae, diatoms, and bacteria.
Zooplankton: A type of plankton that feeds on phytoplankton.
Adaptations: Any physical or behavioral trait that allows an organism to better survive in its environment.
Cilia: Hair-like extensions found on plankton, to help them move and catch food.
Flagella: Tails found on dinoflagellates, a type of plankton.
Surface Area: The total area of all the faces and curved surface of a solid object.
Density: Mass per unit of volume; a measure of the relative "heaviness" of objects.
Hypotheses: If I make my plankton small but also with a small surface area, that it will be easier to control the weight/density of my plankton. It will probably sink very slowly but mighty float in the beginning because water will slowly fill the straw therefore make the straw slowly sink.
Material List:
- BENDY STRAWS
- ALUMINUM FOIL
- MOLD-ABLE CLAY
- COTTON BALLS
- PIPE-CLEANER
Procedures:
- First, My partner and I made multiple prototypes, then we tested each in the testing tank
- We then took the one that was closest to neutral buoyancy (pictured) and improved on the design
- Then, after minutely changing the weight and increasing the surface area so that it took a long time to sink to the bottom of the test tank
- Lastly, we took the improved design to the final timed trials. Then, with a stopwatch, observed how long it took to sink to the bottom, Here is a graph of our timed trials:
Data Analysis:
I believe that our plankton improved over time and with multiple, very small modifications.
I believe that our plankton improved over time and with multiple, very small modifications.
Conclusion:
In Conclusion, over a period of a few testing days, and with the provided materials, my team and I were able to make an almost neutrally buoyant plankton that, over time and with a few modifications, was able to float suspended in the water, then slowly sink to the bottom of the tank. I think that if we were to do this lab again, I would modify my plankton so that it would have a more even shape, so that we could fix the problem of one side being more buoyant than the other. Overall, my plankton improved greatly, but there is still room for improvement.
In Conclusion, over a period of a few testing days, and with the provided materials, my team and I were able to make an almost neutrally buoyant plankton that, over time and with a few modifications, was able to float suspended in the water, then slowly sink to the bottom of the tank. I think that if we were to do this lab again, I would modify my plankton so that it would have a more even shape, so that we could fix the problem of one side being more buoyant than the other. Overall, my plankton improved greatly, but there is still room for improvement.