Bioluminescence lagoons in Puerto Rico 2

It was way more brighter than I thought!  

Laguna Grande

For a week-long intense field work, more than 15 undergraduate students and 7 instructors had worked together to conduct various experiments, including environmental monitoring, phytoplankton and zooplankton metabolism, and sediment-water nutrient flux, in Laguna grande, Puerto Rico. I would like to share pictures showing a time line of our experiments. 

Collecting sediment cores

Sediment core samples collect at three sites (tape colors indicate sites) 

Set up incubation for light-dark experiment

Collect water samples 

We had also monitored water properties throughout the lagoon and, interestingly, there was a wide range of difference in depth, salinity, oxygen, and turbidity. I did not expect such a big difference in all aspects of ecosystem properties in the small ecosystem from the head (near the channel of the Caribbean Sea) to the other end (near mangrove forest) of the lagoon. Our preliminary sediment-water flux results also suggest that there was 5-fold difference between sites in the flux of respiratory products, such as ammonium and dissolved inorganic carbon. In fact, this experience makes me think that I want to do whole ecosystem study similar to 'Ecology of a New England salt marsh (Nixon & Oviatt 1973).' It was too short period to fill all processes into the diagram but hopefully I can work there again in near future.

Uncompleted conceptual diagram

Most of all, I would like to thanks all participants and Drs. Moser and Cornwell in the program for providing me the wonderful research experience in the Caribbean island.