Wetlands and Water Quality By: Hayley B. and Becky D. This past week, we went on a trip to Assateague to study wetlands.

Wetlands Wetlands are areas of land that are occasionally underwater. They support many aquatic plants and animals. They also play an important part in flood control, soaking up large amounts of water when it rains.

Saltwater marshes Areas of low ground that are subject to daily flooding by saltwater Common along the seacoast, inside barrier islands, beaches, and in estruary marshes Soils in salt marshes are level and very poorly drained They are among the most productive ecosystems on earth Serves as a habitat for the early life stages of ocean species

Water quality water quality is the quality of water If the water isn’t healthy, aquatic animals won’t be able to live. Some of the wetlands lead to major estuaries, such as the Chesapeake Bay, and affect our water supply.

Ph is how acidic or basic a solution is Ph affects water quality because if its too acidic it will kill the organisms and if its too basic it will kill them too. It has to be in the middle. To perform this test we took a strip or dissolved oxygen and compared it to the other colors that determined the level of ph.

Water Turbidity Water turbidity affects water quality because it can block light and carry contaminants and pathogens. To perform this test we placed a secchi disk underwater until we could no longer see the black and white triangles. Then with a clothespin marked where the surface of the water hit the rope.

Temperature Temperature affects water quality by how much gas dissolves and which organisms will live. To perform this test we used a thermometer and kept it underwater for 30 seconds and recorded the temperature for 2 tests.

Wind Direction and Wind Speed Wind direction is important because it determines how much oxygen goes into the water To perform this test you must stand away from trees near the water with a GPS for 5 minutes and wait until the data comes up on the screen