4.0 Physical or Abiotic Factors
Part of the structure of an ecosystem is its physical factors. The opportunity in the Marine Centre to demonstrate the close dependence of organisms on physical factors cannot be missed. It is a good way to emphasize to the public that one cannot seperate the physical and the living world and therefore one has to recognize that changing physical factors will have a direct impact on biodversity and the integrity of marine ecosystems. It is also an opportunity to break down the artificial barriers between biology, physics, chemistry and geology.
An approach which I have used on the racerocks.com website has been to treat all physical factors in terms of how they affect life organisms. Measuring the factor is one aspect , but recognizing the impact that those factors have on organisms presents a more interesting aspect. See examples on the links from the data page index at: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/eco/ecodata.htm
So much of how we interact with Marine environments may influence the physical factors in which organisms have evolved to live for millions of years. Present the wide array of factors, with sensor feeds from a number of ecosystems.. Have specific examples of how the distribution of organisms is determined by those factors and how humans are changing some of those factors too quickly. A few summary points follow:
- Successional changes caused by changes of abiotic factors.
- The Physical Story. The marriage of the physical and life sciences.
- How geology-topography affects the distribution of life.
- A display of life zones and biodiversity connected to physical factors.
- Live remote camera control station. Available on Kiosk mode computers access to several remote control cameras. Some can be located nearby in a secure area ( maybe one of the ponds at James Island.)
- The marine industries of the Georgia Strait.. the positive things that are happening.
- How marine industry can be sustainable without contamination and alteration of the physical factors of the environment.
- Energy budget of a disturbed seabird or mammal video streaming on walls of boats and human activity impacting.
- Storm drains and implication of runoffs in altering physical factors.
- Agriculture and the sea... use of fertilizers pesticides on ocean ecosystems. Tie into interconnectivity of ecosystems.
- Climate change and its effects on the oceans.
- Part of the Structure and Function of Ecosystems: Role in energy flow and material cycles. Reference: Structure and Function of Ecosystems: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/education/curricula/projects/structfunct.htm
4.1 Sensors and Data Collection for research.
I have listed here a number of ways to monitor physical factors of ecosystems at various levels and locations..
- Local monitors of all exhibit tanks to show different parameters.
- oxygen levels of aerated vs bottom muds
- ph change as photosynthesis changes in a green pool
- set up a green tank highly enriched with nutrients for this
- have a "convertible tank" where automatic changes can be introduced which then can register abiotic changes on the instruments. This provides great opportunities for schools to do research. For instance a tank may have a screen barrier seperating two populations of fish or invertebrates. Oxygen, Co2 pH and other sensors monitors the whole tank. At periodic intervals, a gate is lowered seperating the water bodies of the two tanks, on the monitors, digital or graphics show a timeline and the change in physical factors contrasting the opposing sides.
- demo of currents feeding barnacles.. ie dependence on that factors
- Remote site monitors.
- interactive modelling with temperature data from Race Rocks.. and implications for global change.
- atmospheric and oceanographic sensors monitoring at Race Rocks.
- Links and interpretations to physical measurements in real time from the Venus subsea research program.
- Links and interpretations to physical measiurements in real time from the Neptune subsea research program.
- Links to the Victoria weather network... school contribution a part of this
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4.2 The Importance of pH.
Index