Hello my friends!

So, I do believe that the experiment we did this last Saturday was a resounding success. The trip to the beach to gather our specimens and the actual experiment itself all went quite well!

First, I'd like to thank all three of you for making this project one of the best I could have hoped for. Although it may seem melodramatic, I would have to say that I couldn't have asked for more competant scientists.

I'd like to start off by apologizing -- I seem to have misplaced my transfer cord for my camera, and therefore I will be unable to upload any of the pictures I took of our project on Saturday. If I find it before tomorrow, I will be sure to post the pictures.

Now, in terms of the experiment itself, I feel as though I am obligated, as a chemist and biologist, to explain why the bullkelp and seaweed turned green after it burned (Mr. Marine has already touched on it), and why the bullkelp and seaweeds have such fastly different elasticities (in terms of the chemistry, as opposed to the physics, like Horacio spoke about).

So let me first discuss the burning experiment. As has been previously outlined, we burned the kelp and, whenever an observation about a change could be made, the observation and the time (counted up from when the heating began) were recorded. The most noticible change was a change from the original color of the seaweed and bullkelp to a green color. To explain this change, Mr. Marine has already identified the different pigements present in this aquatic life -- that is, cholorphyll, fucoxanthin (absorbs in the blue-green to yellow-green spectrum), phycocyanin (absorbs in the orange-red spectrum), and phycoerythrin (absorbs in the blue-green/yellow spectrum). This is why each specimen was a different color. Now, I would conclude, from a scientific point of view, that the reason why the color green was found after burning was because chlorophyll was the only pigment left. However, this is where the chemistry comes in -- why would this be so? The answer lies in the nature of the pigments -- fucoxanthin, phycocyanin, and phycoerythrin are all accessory pigments. What this means is that they are found in smaller quantities in these organisms, but still change the color of it (hence red algae, brown algae, etc). Because they are not as important, nor found in as great a quantity, as chlorophyll in these animals, it makes sense that when heated, these pigments are burned away the quickest. It is because they are accessory pigments that aid chlorophyll that chlorophyll was the only pigment left after burning. Of course, the chlorophyll eventually burns too, which is why a black substance (i.e. carbon) formed on the area most exposed to the bunsen burner.

Next, moving on to the elasticity, the chemistry behind it is actually rather simple. The bullkelp because brittle when it is dried, but is strong and flexible when wet. This is clearly demonstrated in our experiment, and in the results that Horacio has talked about. The reason for this is that when the bullkelp is hydrated, it aids in the fluidity of the cells in the bullkelp; the cells become strong and healthy once more (unless the bullkelp dies; then the cells decompose and the entire thing will not return to its former state), and are then able to withstand more force. However, when they are dry and brittle the cells shrivel and are weak, and are therefore unable to withstand as much force. It is quite similar to human behavior -- when humans are dehydrated, they cannot withstand as much force as they normally could.

So, my fellow scientists, I once again apologize for being unable to submit the pictures (albeit I did talk to Mr. Marine about it, and he suggested I use my SD card instead -- however, when I opened up my camera, I realized I had an xD card instead...well, I'm no technological whiz kid or anything, but I knew that a) they had different names and b) the latter card did not fit into my computer), and again I'd like to thank you for a great Group 4 project.

I will end with a quote by our own Logan Richard: TO INFINITY AND BEYOND! (as our research shall take us!)