GBCW - News

What's happening

After a nice long vacation, I am back to find a very full calendar!
Karen

Please check the calendar to see what you can do to help keep us on track. There is monitoring day, equipment calibration, and QAQC. After that is over we are looking forward to a pleasant evening socializing with our volunteers at the GBCW Picnic on August 29th. We are still trying to make a copy of the NH CHRONICLE show
I'll have it at the picnic, if you didn't get a chance to see it yet. Make sure you are signed up with Ann for everything you can do.

The Marine Invader Monitoring and Information Collaborative (MIMIC) program is going well for GBCW. We have been able to identify several invasive species at our sites, and are having a great time learning about what natives are still there as well. Non-native species volunteers are out on the shore, in the mud, on docks. So far, we have several teams out and about; We appreciate your added efforts! Thanks to the following teams who have taken on this new project.; Candace and Wally, Sybylle and Ellen, Amber and Ava, Karen and Liz, John and Lynn, Samantha and Richard (Dad), Chris and Ann, Polly and Jon. Thank you to all of you who have already delivered you datasheets. If you have not delivered them yet, please turn in your data sheets, any photos you have taken, and the descriptions of your sites. Is the UNH pier an active non-native site, yet?

Adrienne Pappal came up from Boston on July 30th to check out our work (QA – Quality Assurance) at 4 of the 8 sites [So Eliot ME/ cobble beach, Floating cement docks at Dick Bailly’s, Seabrook Fisherman’s Cooperative, and the Hampton Harbor dinghy dock]. She suggested hanging ropes from the docks or floats and let the species grow out on them. We will try that this coming week. We clarified a few samples as native so keep up the great observations.

NMEA Report from Ann:
NMEA in Georgia was hot, hazy, humid, and air-conditioned. I have some materials I think Docents and teachers could adapt for your Sea-treks and classroom activities. Come on bye and see me with the glowing sunflowers in the front yard. I do not have a picture yet! Seems as though in my haste to capture photos of Fabien Coustreau and catch the cab to get to the plane on time, I left the camera in the cab. Sonya, the cab driver, took it home for safekeeping and has said she will mail it back to me. Hurray!
Happy Sampling,
Ann

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Phytoplankton news

Phytoplankton monitoring is continuing through the summer. A report form Candace is expected soon. Please let candace.dolan@unh.edu know if you are interested in joining the GBCW Phytoplankton team or just want to try it on for size.

In monitoring news

Please see the Calendar page for details on monitoring dates. The new tidal times and record sheets are on the Water Quality page and in the "Volunteer Kit" on the left.

We have kept a few technique tips for you dealing with pH meters and DO titrations on the site. We are posting these tips due to the number of questions we are receiving about these issues. If you have other issues you would like addressed, contact us, so we can post the answers.

pH Meter Care

1. Keep them clean - some came back with mud and salt crusted on them. They were reading "OR". Please wash them off with fresh water before storing them.

2. Soak them for at lest 30 minuets in buffer 7 (you can use the rinse buffer) at room temperature before you use them.

3. Check the batteries BEFORE you get to the field. We have a battery tester and new batteries at Kingman Farm for you.

If you are confused about when your DO titration is done, we are here to help. Starch clumps! That is its function, and specks are inevitable at some point during titration. To minimize the specks try these tips:

1. Titrate to a light straw color before putting in the starch. The less reaction that needs to happen at this point will lessen the number of specks.

2. Shake the starch a lot then shake it some more. The less clumped up it is, the better it will go into solution. If you store it in the refrigerator (to prevent mold from growing) warm it up to room temperature too, it will break up faster. Do not filter it. You will end up with only water, and no indicator.

2. Only put in the amount of starch you need. Add 2-3 drops and stir. Add one more and stir again, if the solution does not get darker, you do not need to add more starch. If it does get darker, repeat until it does not.

3. Titrate until you see the solution go clear.

4. Stop stirring for a moment and look for specks. Estimate how many are there. Memorize how much sodium thiosulfate (titrant) you have used.

5. Put one more drop of titrant in, and stir for a few moments. Stop stirring, and look to see how many specks are there. If there are less, repeat from step 4 until the amount of specks stops changing. There may be a few left. Ignore them.

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