Background: Phytoplanktonarethemostimportantpartoftheocean.Theyarethebaseofthefoodchain. Otheranimalsrelyonthemtosurvive.Theyarenotonlygoodforbeingeatenbyfish.They absorbnutrientsandlightandreleaseoxygenthroughphotosynthesis.Iftheyabsorbtoomany nutrientstheycangrowtomuchandgothroughaprocesscalledeutrophication. Hypothesis: Ifthephytoplanktonareexposedtotonutrientsandironthephytoplanktonwillincreasein population. Protocol: Eachtablewasinthreegroups,onecontrolledonewithnutrientsandonewithnutrientsandiron. Werecordedtheresultseachdayandthelastdaywecombinedresultstographthem.

Materials: Purefilteredseawaterwithphytoplankton Flask Nutrientsandiron Cottonball LightSource 3300lpipettes Microscopesandmicroscopeslides Spectrophotometer Wepoured100mlofpurefilteredintheflask,thenweaddedanequalamountofnitrate, phosphate,andirontotheflask.Nextweaddedthealgalculture(5ml).Weplacedtheflask underneathalightsource.Everydaywerecordedtheconcentrationsofthephytoplanktonwitha spectrophotometerandcountedthemwithamicroscope. DataTable: Day1 Phytoplankton %T treatment counts Control Nutrients Nutrientsand Iron 89% 3 86% 0 87% 5 Day2 %T counts 90% 3 85% 3 90% 8 Day3 %T counts 93% 1 80% 5 84% 13 Day4 %T counts 96% 4 80% 12 78% 10 Day5 Day6 Day7 %T counts 91% 4 68% 17 70% 16 Day8 %T counts 94% 2 70% 13 63% 29

%T %T counts counts 90% 6 76% 6 70% 15 92% 10 72% 4 64% 25

Conclusion: Inconclusionmyhypothesiswascorrect,theamountofphytoplanktonincearsedwith nutrientsandiron.Theamountofphytoplanktongrowsmoreeachday.Whatilearnedwasthat thephytoplanktongrowwhentheyareexposedtonitratephosphateandironbecausethoseare thenutrientstheyneedtostayaliveandgothroughtheprocessofphotosynthesis.