Brian Pollak - Senior Project

12th

This week I am working very hard. I have worked with PAtty twice this week and I am meeting with her a few more times. We are working hard to correct essays and also put my poster together. I cant wait to see how this unfolds.

11 post

Now that the deadline of the Senior Project is coming up, I have been trying to get as much work done as possible. I met with Patty and Paige today on Sunday for an hour and we went over my essays that I wrote. I will be putting the edits in my Process Folio and also editing my errors.

10th post

I went to Puerto Rico over Thanksgiving Break. I went diving and took pictures of the reefs. I got a couple really nice photos. I met with a local coral reef expert aswell and he told me some cool things about the reefs in Puerto Rico. He told me that the corals in Puerto Rico are actually doing well do to the fact that they have there eye on them and they are preserving them from death.

9th blog

Patty and I worked on what I am going to do when I am in Puerto Rico.

-Take photos of current health

diversity, size, diversity of other marine life on the reef. Size of schools on reefs.

Look for evidence of bleaching.

Interview locals

Try to find any local literature

I am excited to go down there and check out the reefs!

8th post

this week, i am traveling to California to visit schools. When i get back, we have a week before I go to Puerto Rico, so Patty and I are going to go over what I need to focus on when I dive down for reefs. I am very excited to go to Puerto Rico and check out the reefs there!

7th post

I worked very hard this week. In my science class we had an independent project so I made a powerpoint on the biology on corals and the changes in biology occurring. It was a great time to practice speaking about my project and also to learn more about corals. I got a D on the power-point and I thought I did very well. Also, I learned more about the reproduction of corals which is essential information.

6th post

I did a lot this week. I now have an outside consultant, Peter Topping. Patty introduced him to me and he is going to be a great help. I bought a movie on Itunes called Coral Reef Adventure. Patty and I are going to watch it together! also i printed out a bunch of papers on reefs in Puerto Rico and also coral reef biology and ecology. I have been reading all of these and putting notes in my process folio.

5th blog

This week I learned some interesting facts about coral reef damage. The most fascinating fact that I learned was that sun screen actually destroys the reef. The chemicals of the sunscreen damage the algae on the coral reefs and kill them. I also watched a very interesting video on coral farming where they actually create reefs underwater to help restore reefs surrounding them. Patty introduced me to this guy today that may be my outside consultant. i am excited to meet him.

4th post

Me and Patty worked a lot this week. I was very happy that we got my rubric finished so early on in the week so that I had time to do other things on my project. I feel that I am more comfortable with my project now that me and Patty broke it into three parts. The first part is the biology and the ecology of reefs so that I can understand what a reef is and how important they are to earth. The second part is understanding the effects of climate change and how reefs are dying because of it. SInce reefs are so important we need to realize that climate change is killing reefs and what will happen if they continue to die. Third part is the possible solutions and what we can do to help prevent coral bleaching.

3rd blog

    Over thanksgiving break I am traveling to Puerto Rico. It is an annual trip that I always take, but this time I am going to focus more on the coral reefs. I am staying right on the beach that has coral reef all over so I am fortunate to snorkel right over it and take notes of what I see. Me and Patty have been talking about my project. I am going to do a Scientific Poster, I have been looking at other scientific posters online to get a thought of what goes on. My possible outside consultants are  Carl Safina, Andy Sabin, Tim Dykman.

thanks