With the support of science equipment from the Boothbay Sea and Science Center and seaweed seedlings from Spartan Sea Farms, Kelsey Payson, a sophomore at Medomak Valley High School, studied the impact of warming water on the absorption and retention of carbon dioxide (CO2) by Saccharina latissima. Twenty-two projects were presented at the high school’s March 23 Science Fair. Kelsey’s project tied for 3rd place. On April 1 Kelsey joined 24 of her schoolmates at the Maine State Science Fair held at the University of Maine where she competed against 21 Maine schools representing approximately 160 projects. Reflecting on her experience … “The Maine State Science Fair was a wonderful experience that allowed me to get involved in science. This opportunity also granted me a chance to solve a problem that’s very important to me.”
Kelsey’s abstract
The Effects On The Amounts of Carbon Dioxide Released Caused by Saccharina latissima
Saccharina latissima or sugar kelp is a yellowish-brown species of macroalgae that is known to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Carbon capture technology has been a primary tool in the battle against global warming, but what happens to the absorbed CO2 when the plants degrade? A previous study had shown that S. latissima degrades when placed in warmer ocean temperatures. This project was done to identify what happens to the levels of CO2, salinity, and pH as the kelp is exposed to warming conditions. I hypothesized that increasing water temperatures would degrade S. latissima and therefore produce higher amounts of CO2. In addition, reversing carbon sequestration would degrade the water quality levels, increasing pH, salinity, and CO2.