Gra(pH)ing the death of algae: The effects of pH levels on algae

Abstract

Harmful algae blooms are killing marine animals and plants. We found out that pH affects the growth of algae, so we predicted that the lower the pH is then the more algae will be killed. After putting four samples in 50ml tubes and adjusting the pH, we measured the chlorophyll level after two weeks. Data was collected by using a spectrometer to measure the amount of chlorophyll via the total chlorophyll equation. In the end, the algae survived the best in a pH both higher and lower than the control, therefore our hypothesis was not supported. Our results were supported by similar studies about the effect of pH on algae.