Effect of Gasoline on Coral Bleaching Group 4: Joon Chung Jimmy Wesman Nauman Chandry Heather Hollembeak Sebastian Camacho Will Quartell

Question: How does gasoline concentration affect the symbiosis between the polyps and zooxanthellae? At what levels of gasoline concentration will polyps bleach?

Hypothesis Due to 87 Octane acting as an anthropogenic factor, zooxanthallae will die off and coral bleaching will occur. This will result in withering and ultimately, death.

Why Gasoline? Outside stressors, such as gasoline spill, cause zooxanthallae to fall off by hindering the light from reaching it. Oil seepage may poison the coral.

Our Variable: 87 Octane Week 1- 0.64 ml of gasoline in a tank This is the closest variable we could get to regular gasoline oil. Week 1- 0.64 ml of gasoline in a tank According to Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, standard is 80 micrograms per gram of water in Canada. This converts to 0.64 ml / tank (80L). Week 2- 1.28 ml We will increase the amount of gasoline by 0.64.

Procedures Regular Grade (87 octane) gasoline will be poured at a specific concentration, 0.64 ml, every week. zooxanthallae counts, chlorophyll concentrations, and protein concentration will be recorded every week. Analyze Results Draw conclusions based on growth/death rates of Coral in tank

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