Water Quality B/C

[tornado guy]

So, what should be different about wq next year being with a slightly different topic? Will the macros still be the same?

I think its the exact same rules.

Except there are estuaries included for this year, not just fresh water.

[CulturallyScientific]

Will they replace the salinometer portion of the test? In my experience, it's been quite a hassle for event supervisors to arrange the water testing station of the test.

[fozendog]

Will they replace the salinometer portion of the test? In my experience, it's been quite a hassle for event supervisors to arrange the water testing station of the test.

BUT IT'S SUCH AN EASY POINT!!!!! And if you have stations at the tournament it's a great time to play catch up with the past stations.

[CulturallyScientific]

Will they replace the salinometer portion of the test? In my experience, it's been quite a hassle for event supervisors to arrange the water testing station of the test.

BUT IT'S SUCH AN EASY POINT!!!!! And if you have stations at the tournament it's a great time to play catch up with the past stations.

Well, it's easy for the students, but hard for the supervisors, because trying to fill a huge tub/container with salt water is probably not one of their first priorities.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on live bugs in the Macroinvertebrate portion of the test? I've found that it's a hassle for the event supervisors as well.....
And on a final note: is there such thing as salinometer protocol? My partner and I were apparently judged on that during the competition.

[fozendog]

The only tournament that had live macros that I went to was Nationals. All the other tournaments had pictures to identify them. Live macros are HORRIBLE as well because if you are in the last time slot then their heads fall off and they have been shaken up by the other competitors earlier in the day.

[mnstrviola]

Will they replace the salinometer portion of the test? In my experience, it's been quite a hassle for event supervisors to arrange the water testing station of the test.

BUT IT'S SUCH AN EASY POINT!!!!! And if you have stations at the tournament it's a great time to play catch up with the past stations.

Well, it's easy for the students, but hard for the supervisors, because trying to fill a huge tub/container with salt water is probably not one of their first priorities.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on live bugs in the Macroinvertebrate portion of the test? I've found that it's a hassle for the event supervisors as well.....
And on a final note: is there such thing as salinometer protocol? My partner and I were apparently judged on that during the competition.

I don't see how hard it is to measure out the water and salt to create the salt water solution, as soinc.org clearly described how to do so. It also is a nice hands-on part of the event that makes it a little more interesting.

Also, what do you mean by "salinometer protocol"?

[fozendog]

I think "Salinometer Protocol" means how you used it and if the process of testing it was correct. It shouldn't really be a point at a tournament because there are many different ways of testing the salinity of the water.

[CulturallyScientific]

The only tournament that had live macros that I went to was Nationals. All the other tournaments had pictures to identify them. Live macros are HORRIBLE as well because if you are in the last time slot then their heads fall off and they have been shaken up by the other competitors earlier in the day.

Well, I think that pictures sometimes don't suffice, because the best/common insect pictures probably have been seen by a competitor before, and it seems that live specimens see more authentic. However, I didn't know that live bugs would be that terrible. Would maybe preserved specimens work better?

[ptkid]

The only tournament that had live macros that I went to was Nationals. All the other tournaments had pictures to identify them. Live macros are HORRIBLE as well because if you are in the last time slot then their heads fall off and they have been shaken up by the other competitors earlier in the day.

Well, I think that pictures sometimes don't suffice, because the best/common insect pictures probably have been seen by a competitor before, and it seems that live specimens see more authentic. However, I didn't know that live bugs would be that terrible. Would maybe preserved specimens work better?

live bugs? you want them to be alive and flying and walking around and everything. I'd say thats nearly impossible to get. At nationals for division b we got preserved bugs which are pretty easy to ID.

[fozendog]

The only tournament that had live macros that I went to was Nationals. All the other tournaments had pictures to identify them. Live macros are HORRIBLE as well because if you are in the last time slot then their heads fall off and they have been shaken up by the other competitors earlier in the day.

Well, I think that pictures sometimes don't suffice, because the best/common insect pictures probably have been seen by a competitor before, and it seems that live specimens see more authentic. However, I didn't know that live bugs would be that terrible. Would maybe preserved specimens work better?

live bugs? you want them to be alive and flying and walking around and everything. I'd say thats nearly impossible to get. At nationals for division b we got preserved bugs which are pretty easy to ID.

Sorry I didn't mean actual LIVE macros. I meant real, DEAD macros instead of pictures. For C it was hard to identify, at least for our team, because they had been used all day by other people.