What’s the Difference: Algae Growth Difference between a Pond and Lake

Abstract

Algae growth depends on different outside conditions, including sunlight exposure and eutrophication. We predicted that a pond will produce more algae over a period of time due to its smaller overall depth, size, and minimal water movement, which allows for more concentrated algae growth. We collected 45mL of water from both Dolese Lake and a Hefner Golf Course Pond, and placed the water samples in direct sunlight for 14 days. Then, we compared the final chlorophyll content to the initial chlorophyll content to find the change in chlorophyll content over the 14 day period. The results show the amount of chlorophyll in Dolese Lake decreased, while the amount of chlorophyll in Hefner Pond increased. This supported our hypothesis, as the algae growth was greater in the pond than in the lake. Implications of this experiment are that smaller bodies of water appear to have greater capacity for algal growth, which can help us better understand algal growth and its environment