Water Quality Intro

Water Quality Introduction

Overall Estimated Time:

Prep Exercise (see below) (Time: 10-15 minutes)

Activity 1: The Drain Game (Time: 30 minutes)

Activity 2: For Better or Worse, Water is Useful (Time: four 1-hour sessions)

Prep Exercise:

1. Have the students watch the video below to become familiar with Freshwater needs. (A Collaborative Approach to Research: Balancing Freshwater Needs in a Changing Environment)

2. Students will

   1. meet the staff at Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve

   2. see how the staff are learning to understand circulation within and exchange between the bays and estuary

   3. hear about the importance of Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), both economically and ecologically, and their response to fresh water inflow

   4. discover new research on Rangia clams (Rangia cuneata) as indicator species

   5. understand how this unique research project can effect policy-making decisions