Interactive Expedition 2000
Final Project for Andrea Bosco
**Andrea was one of the students on the 2000 Interactive Expedition.
A responsibility of each student on the trip was to prepare a final project for posting on the web. **

OBJECTIVE - To find a relationship between the water quality and number of zebra mussels shells in one square meter along the Upper Mississippi River.

HYPOTHESIS - There are more zebra mussel shells in locations where there is poorer water quality (ow dissolved oxygen concentrations, high phosphate concentrations, high nitrate concentration, and/or pH levels of 4, 5, 9 or 10).

TEST FACTORS -
Dissolved Oxygen
pH Values

91-100% sat
71-90% sat
51-70% sat
50% sat

4 excellent
3 good
2 fair
1 poor

4
5
6
7
8
9
10

1 Poor
1 Poor
3 Good
4 Excellent
3 Good
1 Poor
1 Poor

 

Nitrates

 

Phosphates

5 ppm
20 ppm
40 ppm
2 fair
1 poor
1 poor
1 ppm
2 ppm
4 ppm
4 excellent
3 excellent
2 fair

EXPERIMENT -

Cassville - May 7, 2000
0.5 meters down
24 degrees Celsius
Location: boat dock/ energy plant
Dissolved oxygen-2 ppm-24%
pH-8.5
Nitrate-2 ppm
Phosphate-2 ppm
No zebra mussel count 		2 miles south of Guttenburg - May 8
0.5 miles down
22 degrees Celsius
Location: sand- broken mussel shells, brush- 2 zebra mussel shells
Dissolved oxygen-2.5 ppm-27.5%
pH-8.5
Nitrate-1ppm
Phosphate-0.5 ppm
Guttenburg - May 9
0.5 miles down
13 degrees Celsius
Location- lock and dam-seawall no zebra mussel count
Dissolved oxygen-3 ppm-30%
pH-8.5
Nitrate-0.5 ppm
Phosphate-2 ppm 		Prairie du Chien - May 9
0.5 miles down
Location-sand /rock- 25 mussels one square mile
22 degrees Celsius
Dissolved oxygen-2 ppm-23%
pH-7.5
Nitrate-0.5 ppm
Phosphate-2 ppm
Lansing - May 10
0.5 miles down
20 degrees Celsius
Dissolved oxygen-3 ppm-30%
pH-8.5
Nitrate-0.5 ppm
Phosphate-2 ppm 		La Crosse - May 12
0.5 miles down
17 degrees Celsius
Location- seawall
Dissolved oxygen- 2 ppm-21%
pH-8.5
Nitrate-no tablets left
Phosphate-2 ppm

CONCLUSION- The experiment showed no relationship between the water quality and amount of zebra mussel shells. This was concluded because not all of the locations tested were the appropriate places to find the zebra mussel shells. The water quality of an area has little effect on the zebra mussels. Zebra mussels are very tolerant to pollution and change in their environment and this is one of the qualities that enable them to thrive in watersheds. This is a major concern for the Great Lakes, Mississippi River and inland lakes because they clog water in-take systems of power plants and water treatment facilities, and the cooling systems of boat engines. They have severely reduced, and may eliminate native mussel species. In order to stop the spread of zebra mussels boater should completely drain all water from their trailer, boats, and motor. They should wash everything using hot water, pressure washers, and dry boats and trailers in the sun at least four days before used in uninfected waters.

Center for Global Environmental Education
 Hamline University Graduate School of Education
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