Characterization of Salt Pond, Falmouth, MA: Its Residents and Their Habitat

The goal of this project was to characterize the seasonally stratified coastal Salt Pond in Falmouth, MA. Environmental water samples were probed with ion chromatography and various chemical analyses to determine what non-living things were present in the environment, and techniques from light microscopy, 16S ribosomal sequencing, and spectroscopy were used to probe the vast array of life supported by the physical and chemical gradients present in this environment. A dramatic shift in the phototrophic community was observed even in the short 2-week timespan of this project, and sulfate reducing bacteria were successfully enriched and isolated from this environment. Overall, the information revealed by this mini project will aid the direction of future studies that wish to “dig deeper” into the inhabitants of Salt Pond and similar environments.

Characterization of Salt Pond

Authors: Grace Chong-University of Southern California

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