Academy for Tech & Classics (3)

The Acad for Tech & Classics team (3) is from Santa Fe. This year they've submitted a project titled Modeling an Aquatic Ecosystem.

Team Members

 * John Paul Donoghue
 * Samuel Lewis
 * Xander Mojarrab

Sponsoring Teacher

 * Polly White

Proposal
http://mode.lanl.k12.nm.us/get_proposal1112.php?team_id=3

We will be modeling an aquatic ecosystem. It will be able to support itself without all the organisms dying off for what would roughly be 250 years. After it has been made to be like this, we will introduce an invasive species. This will be a preexisting scenario that we will model. We intend to see how badly the ecosystem is damaged how quickly. If possible, using the same ecosystem, we will introduce a different invasive species (another preexisting scenario) and see if there is something in common with both. If we can identify some signs that seem to reoccur in situations like this, it might be possible to start working to preserve the ecosystem earlier. We will model this in Starlogo TNG and, if we are able, Python or a flash-based language. If the others prove too time consuming or complex, we will stick with Starlogo as we are familiar with it

Interim Report
http://mode.lanl.k12.nm.us/get_interim1112.php?team_id=3

Problem Definition
Many ecosystems have been severely damaged by invasive species. This often does not become known until it is too late to take preventative measures, and so it takes a long time for the ecosystem to recover. If there was a way to notice the invasive species earlier than normal, it could result in much healthier ecosystems in many places. It is not uncommon for invasive species to be discovered only because of the drastic population changes that result well after their introduction to the ecosystem. Invasive species have been recognized by several other methods, like simple observation.

Computational Solution
Our goal with the model is to find out the most common results which will occur from the introduction of invasive species, and once we have correctly modeled it, to run it on a long term scale to find out the likely effects. We can also test hypotheses as to how to remove the invasive species without risking the collapse of the ecosystem.

Results So Far and Expected Results
We have begun the modeling in Starlogo TNG, and we are working out a few problems with the base ecosystem before we introduce the invasive species. After some tweaking of variables, we will introduce an invasive species and try to put the model in a few different languages (Python and perhaps Repast Symphony) to have a slightly larger collection of data. We hope to identify a common effect of the invasive species soon after their introduction to the ecosystem.

Resources

 * 1) http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/washu/washuh00001.pdf
 * 2) http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/main.shtml
 * 3) http://www.oar.noaa.gov/oceans/t_invasivespecies.html
 * 4) http://www.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=221&mode=2&in_hi_userid=2&cached=true
 * 5) http://nationalatlas.gov/articles/biology/a_invasive.html