In the morning I worked with Elle and talked to her about different types of harmful algae. She was specifically working with Pfiesteria (algae that can be toxic and lead to fish kills) and let me see them under a microscope. She had samples from various locations in North Carolina as well as a few from New Zealand. After that, I helped her feed the algae and learned a lot about writing research reports and her old projects. Elle formerly worked on a project about using algae as a biofuel, which I found incredibly interesting. I also got a refresher on types of microscopes (since 9th grade I’ve forgotten a lot of biology haha). Some of the pictures below are ones she took while doing her various research projects.
Ms. Mackenzie and I went back to the Cary Wastewater treatment plant to pick up a sample of their inflow. It was a brief visit, but it was nice seeing one of the lab analysts for their lab (they weren’t there on the tour). Towards the end of my day, I watched Ms. Mackenzie do a test for fecal coliform (it involves pretty red and blue solutions).
I also had the privilege to speak with Dr. JoAnn Burkholder for about an hour. She gave me a brief presentation about water quality in North Carolina and how government policy is needed to genuinely improve it. North Carolina is one of the top pig farming states and is also competitive in the poultry industry; thus making animal waste a big issue. Due to a lack of regulations, this waste is often carelessly disposed of and negatively impacts communities and waterways surrounding the farms.
Image 1: Sample from water treatment plant
Image 2: Pfiesteria in bottles (pink coloring is because of their food)
Image 3: Fecal coliform test
Image 4: Pfiesteria piscicida zoospore (in the bottles)
Image 5: “Angry face anabaena” – Anabaena planctonica (picture from one of Elle’s previous projects)
