Dissolved Oxygen At the Dissolved Oxygen station students measured the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water . This measurement is important because animals living in the water depend on the dissolved oxygen to live. Its concentration is an important indicator of the water's ability to support different kinds of animal life. To do this they built a hydrometer at school the day before the trip. From these measurements, students were able to compute the salinity of the water.
Most living creatures can tolerate only a narrow range of salinity.
If the water is too salty or if the salt level goes too low, many plants and animals will die. At the Turbidity Station students measured the amount of sediment suspended in the water. The clearer the water looks, the lower its turbidity. When turbidity is high, water loses its ability to support a diversity of aquatic organisms. The solid particles in turbid water can block out light that aquatic plants and organisms need.