The purpose of this research project is to investigate the water quality in different lakes in the area of Kangerlussuaq and to study the connection between the water quality and the plankton in these lakes. A difference in water quality between the lakes near ice sheet and those close to the airport/town is expected. Furthermore a connection between the amount of nutrients and the diversity of plankton is likely. The research in the field consists of water samples, samples of various planktons and samples of the soil from the bottom of the lake and from the land beside the lake. By using water analyzing equipment it is examined how the content of nutrients in the lakes is. Next the soil samples’ content of phosphorus and potassium are found by soil analyzing equipment and also the pH of the soil and water is measured. Furthermore the planktons from the lakes are examined by microscope and the different species of phytoplankton and zooplankton are determined.
The results show that the level of nutrients in lakes close to the airport/town was above the recommended for drinking water. Likewise was the water in the Sea Tomato Lake and Salt Lake unsuitable for drinking. The pH-values show that the water in the melt water lakes was too acidic for drinking. The results also show that the potassium level in the soil is low as well as the phosphorus level except from the soil near the ice sheet which contained 75-50 mg/L phosphorus.
As regards to the level of plankton in the lakes the study concludes that the life in the lakes near the ice sheet was not as diverse as the life in Salt Lake, the pond near Salt lake, the Seatomato Lake and the lakes near the harbor and the town.
Further research could explain why the phosphorous level in the soil is so high near the ice sheet by investigating many different soil samples from the area around the glacier and study the microorganisms in the soil and the composition of the minerals in the soil.
Team photo. Photo by Lauritz Schonfeld (2011)
Christine and Lauritz overlooking the icesheet. Photo by Lauritz Schonfeld (2011)
Research questions
How does the water quality of lakes in the Kangerlussuaq area vary?
How does the water quality affect the types of organisms found in the lakes?
Group Members
Christine Nøhr Pedersen (Denmark)
Avaruna Mathæussen (Greenland)
Lauritz Schönfeld (Greenland)
Hypothesis and predictions
Lakes closer to the ice cap will have less nutrients and therefore less life.
Lakes closer to town will have more chemicals from human created pollution.
Methodology
Collecting water, soil, and biological samples at lake sites around the Kangerlussuaq area. Waders will be used to get water samples from different locations and depths in the lakes.
The water will be chemically tested for nutrients and pH. The water will also be examined under the microscope for organisms. We will be looking for the relationship between chemistry and the biodiversity of the lake.
We will create a catalogue of the different organisms we find and relate to geographic distribution of our lake sites on the map.
We will compare the nutrient levels and pH to the biodiversity in the lakes.
Team environmental. Photo by Laura Lukes (2011)
The environmental team analyzes their samples in the lab. (Photo by Laura Lukes, 2011)
Data/Results
Mystery organism A. Photo by Lauritz Schonfeld (2011)
Mystery organism B. Photo by Lauritz Schonfeld (2011)
Fluffy. Photo by Lauritz Schonfeld (2011)