Student Sarah Kearns conducts research on water chemistry at the VNT oyster farm
by written by Vicki Heisser - posted by Jessica Young |
Under the guidance of Dr. Amanda Glazier, Sarah Kearns is conducting an independent research project funded by Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council this semester. Her research involves measuring baseline water chemistry at the Valdez Native Tribe (VNT) experimental oyster farm and two other comparative sites, with measurements taken at two different depths at each location every three weeks to track changes over the season.
Thanks to transportation provided by the City of Valdez, Sarah travels by skiff to
the sampling sites, where she takes diligent notes and measurements on board. This
data will later be entered into a spreadsheet for analysis.
This research project she developed provides Sarah with invaluable experience and
represents a significant collaboration between the college, the city, and VNT. The
findings will inform VNT about the environment surrounding their experimental plot
and how it compares to similar sites around the port.
Sarah and the two other research students will present their projects during the research
symposium at PWSC on Tuesday, May 2, from 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.