High School Projects

San Juan Islands Watershed Project: The watershed project was initiated in 2002 in partnership with the San Juan Islands Conservation District, with the purpose of collecting baseline watershed water quality data and educating local students about watershed health. Students from Friday Harbour High School, Spring Street International School, Lopez School, and Griffin Bay Alternative School have been involved in the study. The water quality of 14 major watersheds is monitored on San Juan, Lopez and Orcas Islands every 6-8 weeks. Seven parameters are assessed at most sites: dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, turbidity, pH and temperature, nutrients (nitrates, orthophosphates), and flow. In addition, classroom sessions and activities introduce the importance of watersheds and water quality monitoring. To find out more about this project go to our Monitoring Projects page.

Grade 9 - Electrophoresis Exploration: Students are introduced to the process of electrophoresis through a series of labs that teach students to use mircopipettes, agarose gels, and electrophoresis chambers etc. Students explore how the process of electorphoresis works to separte molecules by size shape and charge.

Grade 10 - Invasive Mussel Project: Students are involved in the assessment of the spread of an exotic species of mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis. They use sophisticated electrophoresis techniques to identify the mussel from its DNA fingerprint, which is the only way of separating this cryptic species from native species of the San Juan Islands. Their data are combined with data from a replicate of the project undertaken at the Spring Street School. The results are sent to University of Puget Sound to be compiled with their Puget Sound wide study. To find out more about this project go to our Monitoring Projects page.

Grade 11/12 - Oceanography: Senior oceanography and marine science students are introduced to the importance and purpose of the Department of Ecology's ongoing water column monitoring project. From the University of Washington's Research Vessel Centennial, students collect water column samples to assess water column parameters in Friday Harbor and San Juan Channel. Samples are collected using Conductivity/Temperature/ Depth Profiler and Niskin Bottles. Students analyze collected data and process water samples at the Friday Harbor Laboratories.

Marine Biology: Students participate in plankton tows and bottom trawls aboard the Research Vessel Centennial. Organisms are collected and brought back to FHL for further investigation and inquiries by students.

Check out the projects we are doing at the Elementary School level and Middle School level.