REACH is a group composed of 5th- 6th and 7th-8th grade students from the Stanwood/Camano Island School formed to provide academic enrichment and out of class opportunities for highly capable and motivated students. The 5-6th grade students came together this spring for a three day Expedition in the San Juan Islands. After great deliberations of many research  proposals, the students  determined their Hypothesis: There will be a greater abundance of plankton in their samples  taken above the level at which the Secchi disk disappeared vs. below the level where it disappeared. The Secchi disk is used to meausre turbidity, the amount of dissolved particles in the water column (sand and debris, plankton or both). The students believed they woud find a greater abundance of plankton in their samples  taken above the level at which the Secchi disk disappeared vs. below the level where it disappeared.

Day one of three (click to view cruise track image)
The students quickly became accustomed to the Carlyn and picked up much of the skills needed  to complete their Expedition during this first day of the trip. The savvy scientists sampled at the Western mouth of Guemes Channel in the morning and in Mud Bay in the afternoon. Both of these areas contained a greater volume of plankton in the samples above the Secchi disk depth than below. The two data sets taken thus far were in support of the chosen Hypothesis.

Day two of three (click to view cruise track image)
The students tied Carlyn up to a mooring at Spencers Spit while both  the group rested after an evening exploring night adaptations and playing capture the flag. We  were getting under way for our final nights destination, Jone Island and the students determined that the days route should pass along the southern end of Shaw Island and up through the San Juan Channel. The students decided on this route becuase the second day was more flexible, as the Carlyn would need to negotiate the norhern passage above Shaw Island on the last day to arrive on schedule in Anacortes.
 
The evening on Jones Island began as we hunted down illusive dock space, and then moorage on the other side of the island. Both were full, and the group dropped anchor a few times, but the substrate was not ideal. We eventually found a departing boater who was willing to  pass on the mooring ball! Vicotry! This was just in time to cook a great meal, enjoy dessert and explore the ecology of the area. The musically talented of the crew  led the group  to fiddle and guitar melodies as we sang along, or listened and enjoyed the sound and sights before susnset as we sat on the rocky bluff overlooking Vancouver Island.

Day three of three (no image available)
As you look to the cruise track of the second day, we left Jones Island and threaded our way between the small islands north and west of Shaw, through the south side of Crane Island, and continued on below Orcas towards Anacortes. The remaining sampling stations did not yield conclusive results to either fully refute or support the students Hypothesis. There was some great supportive data, but the final two sampling sites resulted in analysis of the plankton concentration that were too close to differentiate.

As three of the five data sets did support the Hypothesis, some of the students suggested that mixing, due to tidal fluctuation and currents might have contributed to these results. This would mean  that plankton were forced to mix above and below the Secchi disk depth due to water force. Another proposed suggestion was that the density of the water was more important in determining the separation of plankton that the light levels. These students proposed that a future study might include determining the density  of the water at various depths  and then taking plankton samples above and below a layer of abrupt change in the density to see if there is a change in the amount of plankton at each level. NIce work REACH!!!