1. Island School Copper Content Analysis Salish Sea Expeditions
Ian, Alexandra, Grace and the
German Shepherds

2. Introduction
We are Grace Bonow, Alexandra Lin, and Ian McCallister, Fifth graders from The Island School.
Dates of trip: April , 2018

3. Our Research Question
How much copper is in the water in the Puget Sound? Where is it highest?
Why? Because copper is super harmful to the wildlife, and cars and boats produce it.

4. Background knowledge
Copper is a natural element in the water, but too much copper can harm salmon and other aquatic wildlife
Copper comes from car brakes, bottoms of boats, and other natural resources, and the Puget Sound is surrounded by cars and is filled with boats!

5. Our Prediction
IF we test the water in Eagle Harbor and near Blake Island
THEN there will be more copper in Eagle Harbor
BECAUSE there are more cars on Bainbridge Island than Blake Island.

6. Variables
Distance from harbors (GPS position) and amount of copper in water.
How are they related? Sources of copper are boat paint and car brakes-distance to shore and boats!

7. Materials Bucket! Colorimeter Vials GPS Copper tablets Timer Pipettes
Sample Jars
Can include pictures

8. Methods Collect water with “Bucketometer”
Pour water into water sample jars
Use pipettes to put water in vials
Add copper tablets to vials
Measure copper amount using colorimeter
Use ship’s GPS to get Latitude and Longitude for each station

9. Data Analysis Continued
Average copper = .03 ppm
General location
Eagle Harbor
0.04 ppm
47.62°N
122.49°W
0.06 ppm
near Blake Island outside the harbor
0.10 ppm
47.33°12'N
122.28°859'W
0.00 ppm
0.01 ppm
Blake Island Dock
0.13ppm
47.32°550'N
122.28°28'936"W
0.02 ppm
Blake Island Beach
47.32°40'N
122.28°88'W
West Seattle near Alki Point
47.34°34'38"N
122.28°25'35"W

10. Data Analysis, Continued

11. Conclusion Our data supported our hypothesis
Eagle Harbor has more copper then around Blake Island
The ferry on Bainbridge Island might have been a source of copper
Eagle Harbor had above average copper levels
Near Blake Island is below average
The level at Blake Island was way above average, but that may or may not have been a human mistake

12. Evaluation If we could, we would…
Like to test the amount of copper in the fish to compare it to the levels in the water
Try to make less mistakes
Have a longer trip for a more detailed study
Test Elliot Bay to compare its copper levels
Get more samples that fill in the areas in between Bainbridge Island and Blake Island.

13. Ideas for the Future Which gives off more copper, boats or cars?
Is there something else you could put on the bottom of the boat that is better for the animals then copper?
Why is there copper in car brakes, and how much is there?
It would also be interesting to test copper at different depths….
Does it sink? Is there a lot at the bottom?

14. The End!
Thank you! Questions?

15. Pictures/Sources
Images from Mike Derzon, and Salish Staff