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How Water Pollution Affects
the Abundance of
Submerged Aquatic
Vegetation in North Carolina
Presented by:
Brittany Griffin, Melvin Boyce,
Kevin Lee, Ray Baker, and Deon Price
Problem Statement
What is the relationship of
poor water quality to the
decline of submerged
aquatic vegetation (SAV) in
the estuaries of Northeastern
North Carolina?
What is SAV?

SAV are true vascular plants that have leaf-stem-root systems

SAV grow entirely under the water, relaying on the water for
buoyancy to support their stems and leaves

SAV is an underwater garden for juvenile fish and small
invertebrates and a barometer of water quality.

SAV produces oxygen and detritus that is exported to other
habitats, and reduces moderate turbidity and turbulence.

SAV is extremely dependent on the clarity of the water
column for its existence.

There are about 200,000 acres of SAV in coastal North
Carolina
SAV Species found
in Northeastern North Carolina
 Horned
Pondweed
 Redhead
Grass
 Widgeon grass
 Southern Naid
 Eel Grass
The Value of SAV as an
Important Fisheries Habitat

Over 150 fish and invertebrate species are known to
use SAV as adults or juveniles

30 of these are important commercial fishery
species.

SAV beds provide an excellent nursery area for blue
crabs, red drum, pink shrimp, spotted seatrout, and
gag.

SAV blades provide a surface for post-larval
shellfish attachment, especially bay scallops

Large predators, like flounders, rays, and red drum
forage around SAV.
Biosphere
SAV and Water Quality
Water Quality Parameters
Nutrients
Sediments
Water
temperature
Salinity
Dissolved oxygen
Chemical
contaminants
Water Column Ecological Characteristics

Dissolved Oxygen:

DO levels< 3 ppm are stressful to most aquatic organisms.
DO levels< 2 ppm will not support fish.

DO= 5-6 ppm is required for growth and activity of most aquatic organisms.


pH:



A pH of 6.5 to 8.2 is optimal for most organisms.
Acidic< 6.5pH Basic> 7.5pH
Water Color:

Yellow/Brown= dissolved organic materials, humic substances from soil, peat,
or decaying plant material.
Blue= transparent water with a low accumulation of dissolved materials and
particulate matter, indicates low productivity.
Red= can be produced by some algae.
Green= water rich in phytoplankton and other algae.

Mix of colors= may be caused hydrosphere
by soil runoff.



What are the sources
of water pollution?

There are many causes for water pollution but two
general categories exist …direct or POINT SOURCE
and indirect or NONPOINT

Point source pollution includes effluent from waste
treatment plants

Nonpoint source pollution includes surface and ground
water that contains sediment, pesticides or other
contaminants

Nonpoint Source pollutants can also enter the water
column from the atmosphere. An example of this in
northeastern North Carolina is nitrogen from hog
farms.
What are the effects of water
pollution on SAV?
Agricultural runoff harms SAV
Agricultural runoff
contain harmful
chemicals such as,
nitrates, phosphates,
pesticides, and
herbicides.
 Runoff can reach a
temperature of 90
degrees before
entering the Stream .
 Water above 70
degrees may be
harmful to aquatic life.

More on Water Pollution

Pollution is caused when silt and other
suspended solids, such as soil, wash
off plowed fields, construction and
logging sites, urban areas, and eroded
river banks when it rains.

When sediments enter various bodies of water, fish
respiration becomes impaired, plant productivity and
water depth become reduced, and aquatic organisms
and their environments become suffocated.

Pollution in the form of organic material enters
waterways in many different forms as sewage, as
leaves and grass clippings, or as runoff from livestock
feedlots and pastures.
How Sewage effects SAV!!
 Oxygen-
demanding
wastes
 Suspended
Solids
 Nitrates
 Phosphates
 Toxic metal
compounds
Study Area
Samples that were taken
Currituck Sound
We found that the pH
level in Currituck Sound
(at the bottom) was
7.84. This means that
the water is fairly good
for SAV to grow in.
 The DO was 17.18 (at
the surface). That
means that animals that
live in SAV are able to
survive.

Locating SAV With GPS!
It is very important to
find out were SAV is
located.
 Knowing where SAV
is helps scientist test
and come up with
answers to what type
of habitat SAV grows
best in, and where it
grow the most.

Collecting data
Discussing data
Bringing Data Back to Shore
Ways we can reduce pollution !

Cleaning up.

Recycling.

Dispose of hazardous household products
properly.

Use nontoxic household products whenever
possible.

Use natural fertilizers.

Avoid over watering lawns and gardens.

Maintain septic systems properly.

Recycle used motor oil.

Be an activist.
Summary

Through this journey we’ve all learned how SAV is affected in
the different types of spheres. We’ve discussed our problem
statement and how to answer that problem. We talked about
where to find SAV and its study area.

We’ve discussed how pesticides and sewage leaks affect the
hydrosphere where SAV grows.

We also talked about how silt, which is part of the lithosphere,
affects SAV growth and water quality.

In the Biosphere we learned that SAV beds provide an excellent
nursery area for blue crabs and many more species of fish.

In the atmosphere we discussed how pollutants can enter the
water from nitrogen rising in the air and then it precipitates back
down from the sky as nasty pollution and runs right into our
water.
Summary
•
We as a group went into the water to
collect and sample some of the different
species of SAV
References
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www.associtedcontent.com/article/
www.wikipedia.org/oil_spills
www.wikipedia.org/surfacerunoffs
www.learner.org/exhibits/garbage/sewage
http://wupcenter.mtu.edu/education/stream/wate
rcheminfo.htm
http://nationlzoo.si.edu/Education/communityoutr
each/ColumbiaHeights/Water_Quality/Tests?wat
er_temp.cfm
Acknowledgements
 On
behave of our group we would like to
give a special thanks to the people who
made this project possible.
Mrs. Noble
Dr. Porter
Dr. Botti
Ms. Wiggins
Dr. Pringle
Ms. Harris
Ms. Fowlkes
Dr. Rossbach
And a special thanks to the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Summer Workshop, with out
their support there would be no program.
THANK YOU
THE END
 Created
by:
 Brittany Griffin
 Researched by:
 Kevin Lee
 Melvin Boyce
 Ray Baker
 Deon Price