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Zoop Soup (And Poop!) ZOOP SOUP (AND POOP!) THE ROLE OF PLANKTON AND THEIR FECAL PELLETS IN THE CARBON CYCLE Kristen Sharpe Virginia Institute of Marine Science Grade Level 7th Grade through High School Subject Area Life Science, Biology, Environmental, Oceanography, Physical Science, Mathematics The 2019/2020 VA SEA project was made possible through funding from the National Estuarine Research Reserve System Margaret Davidson Fellowship Program which supports graduate students in partnership with research reserves where fieldwork, research, and community engagement come together. VA SEA is currently supported by the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Virginia Sea Grant, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Marine Advisory Program. Activity Title: Zoop Soup (and Poop!): The Role of Plankton and their Fecal Pellets in the Carbon Cycle Focus: Zooplankton Communities, Fecal Pellets, and Carbon Cycling Around the World Grade Levels/ Subject: 7th grade Life Science (focus), 7th grade Mathematics, 8th grade Physical Science; High School Biology, Environmental Science, Oceanography VA Science Standard(s) addressed: 7th Grade Life Science LS.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in which b. a classification system is developed based on multiple attributes; c. triple beam and electronic balances are used to gather data; d. models and simulations are constructed and used to illustrate and explain phenomena; h. data are organized, communicated through graphical representation, interpreted, and used to make predictions; i. patterns are identified in data and are interpreted and evaluated LS.5 The student will investigate and understand the basic physical and chemical processes of photosynthesis and its importance to plant and animal life. Key concepts include c. photosynthesis as the foundation of virtually all food webs. LS.6 The student will investigate and understand that organisms within an ecosystem are dependent on one another and on nonliving components of the environment. Key concepts include a. the carbon cycle; b. interactions resulting in a flow of energy and matter throughout the system; c. complex relationships within marine and estuarine ecosystems; and d. energy flow in food webs. LS.10 The student will investigate and understand that ecosystems, communities, populations, and organisms are dynamic, change over time, and respond to daily, seasonal, and long-term changes in their environment. Key concepts include b. factors that increase or decrease population size; and c. eutrophication, climate changes, and catastrophic disturbances. LS.11 The student will investigate and understand the relationships between ecosystem dynamics and human activity. Key concepts include b. change in habitat size, quality, or structure; d. population disturbances and factors that threaten or enhance species survival; and e. environmental issues. LS.13 The student will investigate and understand that populations of organisms change over time. Key concepts include c. how environmental influences, as well as genetic variation, can lead to diversity of organisms. Virginia Scientists and Educators Alliance (VA SEA) 2020 Kristen Sharpe Page 1 of 23 7th Grade Mathematics 7.4 The student will a. describe and determine the volume and surface area of rectangular prisms and cylinders; and b. solve problems, including practical problems, involving the volume and surface area of rectangular prisms and cylinders. 7.5 The student will a. compare and contrast quadrilaterals based on their properties; and b. determine unknown side lengths or angle measures of quadrilaterals. 7.9 The student, given data in a practical situation, will a. represent data in a histogram; and b. make observations and inferences about data represented in a histogram 8th Grade Physical Science PS.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in which b. length, mass, volume, density, temperature, weight, and force are accurately measured; c. conversions are made among metric units, applying appropriate prefixes; d. triple beam and electronic balances, thermometers, metric rulers, graduated cylinders, probeware, and spring scales are used to gather data; g. data tables showing the independent and dependent variables, derived quantities, and the number of trials are constructed and interpreted; i. scatterplots and histograms are constructed and interpreted; j. valid conclusions are made after analyzing data; k. research methods are used to investigate practical problems and questions; High School Science BIO.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in which b. hypotheses are formulated based on direct observations and information from scientific literature; d. graphing and arithmetic calculations are used as tools in data analysis; e. conclusions are formed based on recorded quantitative and qualitative data; f. sources of error inherent in experimental design are identified and discussed; m. current applications of biological concepts are used. BIO.2 The student will investigate and understand the chemical and biochemical principles essential for life. Key concepts include the capture, storage, transformation, and flow of energy through the processes of photosynthesis and respiration. BIO.8 The student will investigate and understand dynamic equilibria within populations, communities, and ecosystems. Key concepts include b. nutrient cycling with energy flow through ecosystems; c. succession patterns in ecosystems; Virginia Scientists and Educators Alliance (VA SEA) 2020 Kristen Sharpe Page 2 of 23 d. the effects of natural events and human activities on ecosystems; and e. analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems. Learning objectives/outcomes a. Students will classify and categorize simulated zooplankton “fecal pellets” by their shape and size b. Students will identify the zooplankton source species of “fecal pellets” using a dichotomous key c. Students will sort and weigh “fecal pellets” using a triple beam balance d. Students will hypothesize where their “sample” came from using a map of locations and data e. Students will calculate carbon flux using the data they collect f. Students will compare and contrast carbon cycling in different regions of the ocean g. Students will construct graphs showing weight of fecal pellets in each location h. Students will measure real zooplankton fecal pellets using a photograph and metric ruler i. Students will discuss the importance of carbon cycling in the marine environment Total length of time required for the lesson One 90-minute class block Key words, vocabulary * For a glossary of listed vocabulary terms, see Appendix 6*: Zooplankton; phytoplankton; meroplankton; holoplankton; diel vertical migration; photosynthesis; food web; fecal pellet; export; community; nutrients; carbon sequestration; passive sinking; active transport; remineralization; respiration; fossil fuels; carbon dioxide; gelatinous; marine snow; biological pump Background information Kristen Sharpe is a Masters graduate student at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. She is studying zooplankton communities in the Chesapeake Bay and Sargasso Sea, with an emphasis on the role of surface zooplankton community composition on the production of fecal pellets. The root of the word plankton is the Greek “planktos,” meaning drifter or wanderer. Plankton are broadly described as all organisms that cannot actively swim against a current. Plankton are universally found in all water bodies, including fresh and marine, and can range in both taxonomy and size. There are two main types of plankton. Phytoplankton are microscopic protists which convert light energy from the sun into organic material, in a process known as photosynthesis. Through photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is sequestered from the air and oxygen is produced as a by-product. In fact, over 50% of the oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere is created by phytoplankton. The general equation for the photosynthetic process is included below: CO2 + H2O + photons CH2O + O2 (carbon dioxide) (water) (light energy) (carbohydrate) (oxygen) Virginia Scientists and Educators Alliance (VA SEA) 2020 Kristen Sharpe Page 3 of 23 Zooplankton are animal plankton, which can range in size from microscopic animals to macroscopic organisms such as jellyfishes and giant pyrosomes. Animals which spend their entire life as plankton are called holoplankton, while those animals that spend only part of their life as plankton are referred to as meroplankton. Meroplankton include the larval forms of almost every animal that lives in the ocean. Zooplankton are important for a variety of reasons. Perhaps most importantly, they form a critical intermediate link in the global marine food web. By grazing on phytoplankton and then, in turn, being consumed by a variety of larger animals, zooplankton link primary producers to upper trophic levels. Every organism in the ocean depends either directly or indirectly on plankton for their food source. Another important role that zooplankton play is in the global carbon cycle. By grazing on phytoplankton, the zooplankton take in most of the carbon that phytoplankton have fixed through photosynthesis. Then, just like every other animal that eats – zooplankton poop! Their
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