There was an abundance of these types of algae in comparison to other algae of a similar size. The reference we used for information relating to the Cyanobacteria is C. Van Den Hoek, D. G. Mann, and H. M. Jahns. Algae, An Introduction to Phycology. Cambridge University Press, NY 1995. We examined the nutrient quality of the pond to see if eutrophication was taking place.
Eutrophication is the build-up of nutrients in an aquatic environment.
This can cause poor water quality and decline in the value of the surrounding real estate. The group performed several different tests in the water. One of the tests was a vertical zooplankton net haul. The net haul was taken in the middle of the pond from canoes. The weather was clear and sunny.