Water Quality B/C

[magicalforest]

OH OH sorry if I insulted anyone in Division B about the 6th or 7th grade books.

I just meant books that you may scoff at as "too easy, below my level" may actually be really relevant for this event, especially if you're a high schooler studying for this event.

And the person who gave me those book resources was PacificGoldenPlover. Forgot to give proper credit when due.

But this event is SO INTERESTING. Marine biology really opens up the possibilities you can read about. Like have you guys read about the triton? It's absolutely terrifying.

Here's the Wikipedia article on it- the resource I used when I couldn't find anything on Animal Diversity Web:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triton_%28gastropod%29

Adult tritons are active predators and feed on other molluscs and starfish. The giant triton has gained fame for its ability to capture and eat crown-of-thorns starfish, a large species (up to one metre in diameter) covered in poisonous spikes an inch long. This starfish has few other natural predators and has earned the enmity of humans in recent decades by proliferating and destroying large sections of coral reef.
The struggle between a starfish and an Atlantic triton can last up to an hour before the sea star is subdued by the snail's paralyzing saliva

Tritons can be observed to turn and give chase when the scent of prey is detected. Some starfish (including the crown-of-thorns starfish) appear to be able to detect the approach of the mollusc by means which are not clearly understood, and they will attempt flight before any physical contact has taken place. Tritons, however, are faster than starfish, and only large starfish have a reasonable hope of escape, and then only by abandoning whichever limb the snail seizes first.

The triton grips its prey with its muscular foot and uses its toothy radula (a serrated, scraping organ found in gastropods) to saw through the starfish's armoured skin. Once it has penetrated, a paralyzing saliva subdues the prey and the snail feeds at leisure, often beginning with the softest parts such as the gonads and gut.

Tritons will ingest smaller prey animals whole without troubling to paralyse them, and will spit out any poisonous spines, shells or other unwanted parts later.

Here's a video of Triton eating a crown of thorns starfish. (Not as dramatic since it's only a few minutes and you don't get to see much)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2eY5mpNdDs

Sigh... if only our team could make Nationals. If only. :'(
You lucky ducks who are doing WQ for States or Nats better make the best of it!

[caseyotis]

I recently attended an oceanography lecture given by a Cornell professor, and it was fantastic. I honestly learned a lot that would have helped me in Water Quality if I was still competing. Resources like that, if they're available in your school/area, can be very useful. And they're also interesting to someone who doesn't do it for Science Olympiad. I obviously didn't go for Science Olympiad - this event opened up the field to me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I'm going to miss Water Quality.

[EastStroudsburg13]

I recently attended an oceanography lecture given by a Cornell professor, and it was fantastic. I honestly learned a lot that would have helped me in Water Quality if I was still competing. Resources like that, if they're available in your school/area, can be very useful. And they're also interesting to someone who doesn't do it for Science Olympiad. I obviously didn't go for Science Olympiad - this event opened up the field to me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I'm going to miss Water Quality.

If you're interested in oceanography, Dynamic Planet's topic changes to Oceans next year. It's a lot more to do with the physical side of oceans, rather than the ecological side, but if you found the lecture interesting it might be something you want to think about!

[caseyotis]

I recently attended an oceanography lecture given by a Cornell professor, and it was fantastic. I honestly learned a lot that would have helped me in Water Quality if I was still competing. Resources like that, if they're available in your school/area, can be very useful. And they're also interesting to someone who doesn't do it for Science Olympiad. I obviously didn't go for Science Olympiad - this event opened up the field to me, and I wanted to learn more about it. I'm going to miss Water Quality.

If you're interested in oceanography, Dynamic Planet's topic changes to Oceans next year. It's a lot more to do with the physical side of oceans, rather than the ecological side, but if you found the lecture interesting it might be something you want to think about!

Oh, yeah, it does sound interesting. We have two Dynamic Planet people already, but we'll see!

[olyweeah]

I'm in need of some major clarification! So state will be my first time doing water quality (somebody else did it at regional and whatnot)... so my biggest question is whether we need to know the indicator microorganisms (ya know, the ones on the wiki)? The rules say nothing about microorganisms so I'm guessing no but I want to be sure. States are only 17 days away and I really don't want to waste time learning things that I don't need (I don't get enough sleep as it is). Again, so we only need to know the topics and coral reef organisms on the rules? No microorganisms... (we only did 12 events at regionals so preparations for states are pretty stressful for my whole team. Everyone has to do extra events...)

Anyways, thank yoooou kind soul who answers

[magicalforest]

Macroinvertebrates were part of last year's rules and are removed from this year's rules. You are technically not required to know them. There was even an official rules clarification on soinc.org that replaced the "analyze and evaluate comparative macroinvertebrates" to "indicator organisms" in the rulesheet. So technically, you are only required to know the ecologies, life cycles, and ID of the organisms listed on your rule sheet.

That being said, sometimes state supervisors may use a previous year's rules and they may include the macroinvertebrates. But seeing you're from the state of Illinois, which I assume has a well-organized SO program (it hosted nationals before) I don't think you'll have to worry about that.

[darkdeserthighway]

As magicalforest said, you probably will not need to know the macroinvertebrates this year.

[PacificGoldenPlover]

I think I'll just leave this video here. These shouldn't be that hard to identify.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk83FzJOc-U

[magicalforest]

I think you meant to post this in the Question marathon?

Anyway, those are Bumphead parrotfish in the video right?

[PacificGoldenPlover]

Since the answer was in the link, I figured it would be a stupid question. I just thought it was cool.