Too Hot to Handle: The Effects of Increasing Temperature on Dissolved Oxygen in Pond Water

Abstract

The experiment we conducted was to test the effect of temperature on dissolved oxygen, considering the fact that decomposers’ metabolisms increase as temperature increases, which results in them consuming more oxygen. The problem we tackled is why some bodies of water have a lower level of dissolved oxygen than others do. Our experiment is unique because we are testing the effects of temperature on dissolved oxygen content in water from the west end of the Dolese Pond in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. To answer this question we measured the amount of dissolved oxygen in samples of pond water at varied temperatures. We ran multiple experiments in which we took samples of the Dolese Pond water, heated it, and tested the amount of dissolved oxygen. This research will be valuable because it will show the affect overheating has on aquatic life.