Biodiversity in Dolese Lake: How Does Location Effect Organisms?

Abstract

The biodiversity of a body of water, for the purposes of this study Dolese Lake, can be influenced by a variety of factors such an algae growth, pollution, Eutrophication, access to sunlight, and depth of water. We tested water from three different locations over the span of two weeks, an inlet, an outlet, and a main section of the lake. We took 10 µL samples and analyzed them under a microscope to note the amount and variety of algal genera of each sample. We found that the inlet produced the most biodiverse environment. This information can be used for further research into what creates a healthy, biodiverse, aquatic ecosystem, and what can be done to improve ecosystems which have been polluted- decreasing their biodiversity levels.