The Effects of Different Nutrient Levels on Algal Growth

Algae is essential to a healthy underwater ecosystem. However, surface runoff containing manmade pollutants and nutrients can cause eutrophication, which can make algae grow to unhealthy levels. In our experiment, we chose to take samples from Lake Hefner as well as a local Oklahoma City golf course and manipulate various nutrients to determine which causes the most algae growth. We measured the cell density in each sample by using a hemocytometer and microscope. Our hypothesis for this investigation was that algae will grow best in the water with elevated levels of nitrogen pollution causes excessive algae growth. We observed our hypothesis to be unsupported, because our algae growth in each sample decreased drastically. This was possibly a result of the algae growth decreasing due to various conditions in the lab setting. Nonetheless, this investigation could still be considered significant for future research concerning algae growth in man-made waterways.