With the help of expert Jim Peterson, from the UW, students tested the turbidity of the lagoon water.  They learned what the turbidity, or clearness of the water, meant to the health of the lagoon.  For example, fish that depend on sight for feeding need good turbidity in order to find and their food.     

          Using chemicals provided by Mindy Habecker, students tested the level of dissolved oxygen in samples of the lagoon water.  They also tested the temperature of the water.  This was done with the instruction of Phil Emmling, also from the UW.

          Each group of 5 or 6 students were given a small pool of lagoon water with other natural lagoon debris.  They searched for insects with plastic spoons, separating each species they would find into its own cell in the ice tray they were given.  Then they identified each species using a bug chart.  

          A bucket of unidentified plants was provided, and the students used information pages of various plants found in the lagoon habitat to find the name of each one.  Then they pressed the plant with its matching identifying tag.