Students And Volunteers Collect Data On Peconic Estuary

Photo courtesy of: Jade McKrieth

Thousands of students and volunteers from the East End collected data on the Peconic Estuary to be complied into an official “Day in the Life of the Peconic Estuary” database on Wed. Oct. 1.

Three classes from Riverhead High School collected data during the day and the Riverhead Middle School Environmental Club paired up with Atlantis Marine World to collect data in the bay via the Atlantis Explorer boat.

Volunteers from the Long Island Science Center, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Geological Survey and Atlantis Aquarium Explorer staff members assisted science teachers and assistants with the collection of the data and provided our students with models for future career choices.

Riverhead High School science teacher Christopher McCrary’s AP Biology class collected data from the Peconic River behind Roadhouse Pizza on Route 25 in Riverhead while Claire Yannacone’s High School science class and John Barona’s Living Environment and Forensic classes traveled to Indian Island to collect data.

The students measured air temperature, soil and water temperatures, current speed, tidal change, collected biological specimens to identify, made a map of the area, and ran chemical tests to check on the salinity and oxygen levels in the water.

In addition, students performed tests and gathered data for the Portal to Discover website including:

• Aquatic Biological Survey
• Biodiversity Inventory Survey
• Habitat Association Survey
• Turbidity
• Water pH
• Salinity
• Dissolved Oxygen
• Cloud Cover
• Wind Direction and Speed
• Physical Characteristics of the Site
• Map of the Site
• Sediment Sample of Shoreline, Site Bottom
• Photographs of Site
• Images of all Interesting Animals/Plants to be Identified
• Images of other group members in action

The results of the tests and data gathering can be found on the Portal to Discover website.

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