Final post

Final Post- Terry Baurley What I have learned is that science is not exact, and that the data, observation and facts are more important. The largest challenge I have had was working with incomplete data and trying to make sense of it all, which lead me to many inaccurate conclusions. Sources that are reliable are hard to come by on the web as a Google search. Ultimately though, interpretation of the data comes from experience, working with the data, understanding it and also observing it over a significant amount of time. It’s easy to make conclusions that are beliefs and it’s easy to make mistakes when asked to defend something. What I have learned and come to believe is that there is a difference between beliefs and facts. I do believe that when we care about the Harbor or the River or a species that it is important that we do our best. I believe that out teacher is one of the best I will have here at BU and I have learned an enormous amount. I have also enjoyed learning and spending time with all of my classmates. Thank you for patience and understanding. Best wishes to all of you in your future endeavors. See pictures below.

Observations

Terry Baurley

Observations

Lovell’s Island

One of the explanations for what seems like an area that is more affected by invasive species is the approximated to the Blackrock channel. The proximity brings the ships closest to shore and it’s one of the furthest islands out, I would hypothesize that the other islands within the harbor are not nearly as affected. It’s even possible that the original place where ships have traditionally emptied ballast water in that area. One of the things that I noticed about the container ships were in the process of being tugged out to sea by tugboats which suggest that it might be narrow, shallow and difficult to navigate. It’s possible that they may empty their ballast just prior to entering the Black Rock Channel in an effort to lighten the load, and the tide may have carried concentrated amounts of water from the ballast towards the island.

Several of the shells that were found on the metal cover on the beach. According to the Boston Harbor Islands at Harvard entomology they seem to suggest that the shells might be Brown lipped snail, the specimen we examined was approximately half an inch with the top half missing yet when I look back at the blog from previous visits I get conflicting data, in a posting by Sabrina Liu on 8/3 2010. There are two different types on the island, which are the white lipped snail, the other one is a Brown lipped snail. The Brown lipped snail was actually introduced in 1857 by Dr. Binney by accident and is now found in fifteen states. The defining shape of the shell’s opening has a very distinctive much lighter shell and no color at the opening of the shell. But when comparing the two shells the Brown lipped snail shell is much larger. The similar one from metal cover does not seem to fit the white lipped description.

I actually have to go with the identification as a juvenile terrestrial snail. Daniele Wesson in her blog post on July 26, 2012 identified the snail as a terrestrial snail and agree.The reason that I believe that this indeed is a juvenile terrestrial snail is that at the field Museum of Natural History by Jochen Gerber says that to confirm the identification that you confirm by “break the window of the body whorl that you’ll see a columellar fold.” Which explains why the top of the shell looks like it’s been cut off.The explanation of the snails being found on the beach, makes sense because these snails are usually found at the high water mark. I’m not sure that a bird dropping it from the heights is the correct hypothesis because the bird suggested was a song thrush. According to the Audubon and Peterson’s bird guide books, the song thrush, does not inhabit any part of the United States, song thrush birds are actually from England and may have a range as far as Ireland, unless bird was off course during a storm he would be highly unlikely that you would find them here.

Another confusing things that I noticed was when we started to catch the black sea bass in the field guide to nature of New England by Ken Kaufman and Kimberly Kaufman states that black sea bass are mostly found in shallow water often around docks, jetties, piers and other structures What is confuseing here is that the water was not all that shallow or nowhere near any piers or any underwater structure.
One of the other important pieces of information while researching the species thta we incountered is how important rock weed is to the health of the community, the reason it is used is because “primary producer converting inorganic nutrients into organic biomass using the energy of the sun.” Some of the reasons how rockweed is important to the environment is that it’s harvested as a supplement used in multiple products. It is also a shelter for all types of life forms especially lobsters and periwinkle. But it also  has the ability to remove trace elements and pollution from the water. Very similar to mussels, oysters and clams as far as filtering and cleaning the water. One of the biggest problems with managing this resource is like all resources  it need to be properly managed by partially cut rather than completely cut so that it’s there for future generations.

http://www.rockweedcoalition.org/downloads/Functions_and_Values_of_Rockweeds_ME_DEP.pdf

http://www.uwlax.edu/biology/faculty/perez/Perez/PerezLab/Research/Publications/AMS_Workbook_KEP_FINAL.pdf

Cruising Boston Harbor

Starting our adventure we boarded our ship at Long wharf what we learned about was that Boston harbor at one time was actually carved out by glaciers and that's the way Stellwagen Bank was the portion that connected the landmasses together to create a pond. We were taught that all of the  wharf's and a significant portion of the land from government center to the water's edge was actually landfill. And that at one time there Bay and wetlands extended far more inland than it does today. As we peered into the boat slip there were few signs of life in the water on the pier other than algae, moss, seaweed and barnacles. The water was very brackish looking that we were told by our professor was because of algae and water from the Charles River emptying into the harbor. After we left the dock and headed out we were under the flight path for Logan Airport and had jets flying low on approach into the airport. As we look behind us we could see the USS Constitution in the Charles town Navy Yard looking forward there was a fire boat putting on a display.

Some of the interesting things we saw was the Boston skyline everything from the federal courthouse to the contemporary art museum to Anthony's Pier 4. Continuing forward it went past Fort Independence that's part of Castle Island. Some of the things that were most interesting about the inner and outer islands is this historical significance in history of these places. Many times over the years is islands of been used for corralling of deer for the Indians to waste water treatment plant. One of the most colorful stories was about a Pirate being hung at Nixes Mate, to the story of the haunting on George's Island by the Confederate widow lost her husband. On deer Island we retreated to the waste water treatment plant where we learned about the process of turning all of the ways from Boston back into portable drinking water that the recharging the ocean. Many of these islands over the years of been used for military purposes as either forts from the revolutionary times, through World War II, or as drug treatment facilities, prisons, isolation ward for people with diseases, mental institutions and also a place to dump not only medical but biological waste. Some of the sites that made an impression on me was the view of Boston harbor light to the sighting of comm orates. The sheer scope and beauty of these islands with their forest of trees in the lushness of the greenery against the backdrop of the skyline and the sun shimmering off the water was a magical moment.

An additional observation was how enclosed and protected the Bay was. There was very little chop is very calm.One of the most poignant moments came as we came alongside the USS Salem but in contrast also learned its history of shipbuilding in Boston. One of Boston's prides is the building of the Cutty Sark from red Oak. Massachusetts and colonial  times was known for its timber in the beauty and design of the ships. But in contrast you have ships designed for beauty and speed compared to a show of might and force. When you see the closed shipyards they are a constant reminder of times gone by and also how things change.

Down the drain

Terry Baurley

ES 141

While conducting the experiment our classmate placed his hand over the drain and proceeded to fill the sink approximately a quarter full. After turning off the water we watch the water flow down the drain and it seemed to go in a clockwise direction. Not being sure of what we really saw even though we had a consensus of all five of us saying that the water went down in a clockwise direction. We decided to run the experiment again. So the same classmate placed his hand over the drain and proceeded to fill the sink again approximately ¼ full. After turning off the water again and taking his hand from the drain we all observed what we believe was the water draining in a Clockwise direction.

In an article in scientific American it seems to attribute the process of water going down the drain is what’s known as Coriolis effect. Even in the article in scientific American it seems that this effect is in dispute. Some of suggestions for further experiments seem to suggest that the type is sink, the angle any amount of water may play significant roles in the outcome of the experiment. There is also some suggestion in the article by Brad Hanson to the staff geologist to Louisiana geological survey, “That the rotation of the earth tends to accelerate training water in a clockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern.” (Scientific American, 2001)

In the additional abstract by David J Van Domelen at Ohio State University Department of physics seems to suggest that the variation in the sink and other variables make it almost impossible to prove the effect. He suggests that the water going down the sink will continue going down way it went into the sink. He also goes to contends that “under extremely controlled conditions, this can cause water to flow out of container counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere, but your kitchen sink is not so controlled.” “Things like left over spin  from filling the sink (even when the water looks still, it’s rotating slowly for long time after it seems to stop.)” (Domelen)

In Conclusion even though they use the example of hurricanes and cyclones in their rotations in the northern and southern hemisphere as a basis for the effect, there are too many variables within wind, water, and current just as the variables of a sink make it almost impossible to prove. The real defining question but Thomas Humphrey seems to suggest that a toilet or sink does not have the volume of water to be affected by the Coriolis effect. (Congress)

Bibliography:

Congress, t. L. (n.d.). Everyday Mysteries.

Domelen, D. J. (n.d.). Getting around the Coriolis Force. Ohio State University Dept of Physics .

Scientific American. (2001, January 28).