Who knew creating a blog was so easy??

Here is my first blog for my Winogradsky Column experiment!

For my experiment I made 2 Winogradsky Column's both in 1 L containers but different shapes. On of the columns is in a 1 L graduated cylinder 40 cm tall and 7 cm in width. The second column is in a 1 L container that is 15 cm tall and 11 cm in width.

I used to different containers because I am testing to see if the shape of the container will effect bacterial growth. Will the shorter container with more surface (water) area develop more aerobic bacteria first and be slower to develop anaerobic bacteria? I predict that the taller cylinder will show greater and clearer bacterial growth (in the from of colored layers) before the shorter container.



Materials:

San Francisco Bay mud

San Francisco Bay brackish water = 31 ppt

parafilm

1 L graduated cylinder

1 L (shorter and wider) container

1.5 cups shredded newspaper

2 Tablespoons powdered CaCO3 (crushed antacid tablets - tropical fruit)

2 Tablespoons of CaSO4



Methods:

I collected mud from the San Francisco Bay (in Sausalito, CA) during a low tide. I tested the salinity of the water with a refractometer and it was 31 ppt. I scoped both soft mud and water into a bucket. Once home I drained off some of the water (setting it aside). I scooped 2 L of mud into a mixing bowl and followed the nasa protocol* for mixing the mud and water until it is a "milkshake" like consistency. Once I reached my desired consistency I mixed in 1.5 cups of loosely packed shredded newspaper. Next I mixed in 2 tablespoons of powered Calcium Sulfate (CaCO3) - I crushed antacid tablets with a mortar and pestle to achieve a powered consistency. Lastly I mixed in 2 tablespoons of (CaSO4). I mixed for another couple of minutes and then scooped my mixture into both containers filling them up to 900 ml. I then filled the remaining 100 ml with the brackish water that I had set aside and sealed them both with parafilm. I placed both containers in the same window where they could receive indirect sunlight.

*http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/projects/astrobiology/fieldwork/lessons/demo.html

I will post photos soon.