Week 2 log:

Monday: Meeting with Mr. Cuttrell and Ms. Green regarding model. Flaws with design integration with Megan's model brought to light.

 

Tuesday- Confirmed design changes to design with Megan. Looked through alternate solutions to decide whether a different solution would work best with the new design changes

 

Wednesday: . Fixed problems with design brief. Finished presentation outline.

 

Thursday: Presentations were held all throughout the class.

 

Friday: Started testing procedures, Convened with alternate horseshoe crab group, Alex Vanheest and Reuben Keller, to discuss designs. Reorganized blog layout so that pictures and information match. Updated log.

Specifications and limitations:

Specifications:

• Solution must have features similar to natural environment
• Solution must be constantly drain and fill with water
• Solution must have filtering capabilities 
• Solution must control nutritional requirements such as salinity, temperature, and oxygen levels

Limitations:

• Solution is limited to a 3' by 2' by 1' space
• Solution is limited to non-corrosive materials
• Solution is limited to having pipes that are smaller than the width of a 1 year old horseshoe crab
• Solution is limited to using the saltwater provided by the NOAA lab
• Solution is limited the amount of space available in the NOAA lab

The design brief for this project is as follows:

Team design brief- To design, model, and build a simulated horseshoe crab habitat that will mimic their natural environment in a laboratory setting for the purpose of raising 100 six month to one year old horseshoe crabs and to allow for scientific research.

Personal design brief- To design and create a water flow system that provides the tank with all of the environmental requirements that horseshoe crabs need, as well as filter and cool the water.

Work cited:

Britton, Barrie. Red Knots and Spawning Horseshoe Crabs. 2012. Photograph. N.p.
Britton, Barrie. Horseshoe Crabs Spawning in Mispillion Harbor. 2012. Photograph. N.p.
Horseshoe Crabs on a Rocky Shore. 2009. Photograph. N.p.
Habitats of Horseshoe Crabs. 2006. Photograph. N.p.
Juvenile Horseshoe Crabs on a Sandy Beach in Lantau Island. 2006. Photograph. N.p.
Singular Horseshoe Crab. 2012. Photograph. N.p.
Red Knot Eating Horseshoe Crab. 2012. Photograph. N.p.
Associates of Cape Cod. Bleeding Horseshoe Crab. N.d. Photograph. N.p.
Associates of Cape Cod. Collecting Horseshoe Crab. N.d. Photograph. N.p.
Millard, Mike. Horseshoe Crabs Were Over-harvested for Food, Fertilizer, and Fish Bait. 2006. Photograph. N.p.
Gerhard, Dale. Juvenile Horseshoe Crab. N.d. Photograph. N.p.
Hagan, Dawn. Horseshoe Crab. Declining Numbers of a Shorebird Called the Red Knot Have Been Linked to Bait Use of Horseshoe Crabs. 2009. Photograph. N.p.
Horseshoe Crab Flipped on Its Back. 2011. Photograph. N.p.
Horseshoe Crabs Being Brought in by the Tide. 2011. Photograph. N.p.
Juvenile Horseshoe Crab in Wellfleet Marsh. 2011. Photograph. N.p.
Tiny Juvenile Horseshoe Crab Netted. 2011. Photograph. N.p.
Underside of Tiny Juvenile Horseshoe Crab. 2011. Photograph. N.p.
Horseshoe Crab Crawling in the Sand. N.d. Photograph. N.p.
A Spawning Horseshoe Crab Pair in a Tank. N.d. Photograph. Taiwan Academia Sinia, Institute of Zoology, n.p.
Reynolds, Joe. Juvenile Horseshoe Crab. N.d. Photograph. N.p.

Background information:

In recent years, the Horseshoe crab population has been quickly dwindling. While this is in part due to the local animals who use them as a source of food, the horseshoe crabs never faced any real danger of extinction until humans began interfering, such as using them for medical purposes and as bait. The drop in the Horseshoe crab population is also beginning to affect the birds who rely on the Horseshoe crab as food so that they can survive their migration. If this problem is left unchecked, even more species could be affected.

Our project is to design a habitat for Horseshoe crabs to see if it is possible to raise them in captivity and then release them in to the wild. The conditions in the habitats must mimic the conditions that they would be faced with if they were living in their natural environment. The construction of the habitat will be split in to two sections. I will be in charge of building the water flow systems and the environmental requirements while my partner will be responsible for the structure of the habitat. This habitat will be set up in the NOAA laboratory on Sandy Hook and will house 6 month to 1 year old horseshoe crabs.


Red knots and spawning horseshoe crabs, Mispillion Harbor, Delaware Bay


Horseshoe crabs spawning in Mispillion Harbor, Delaware Bay


Horseshoe crabs on a rocky shore

Habitats of horseshoe crabs


Juvenile horseshoe crabs on a sandy beach in Lantau Island


Singular horseshoe crab


Red knot eating horseshoe crab


Bleeding horseshoe crab


Collecting horseshoe crab


Horseshoe crabs were over-harvested for food, fertilizer and fish bait


Juvenile Horseshoe crab


Horseshoe crab. Declining numbers of a shorebird called the red knot have been linked to bait use of horseshoe crabs.


Horseshoe crab flipped on its back


Horseshoe crabs being brought in by the tide


Juvenile Horseshoe crab in Wellfleet Marsh


Tiny Juvenile Horseshoe crab netted


Underside of tiny juvenile horseshoe crab


Horseshoe crab crawling in the sand


A spawning horseshoe crab pair in a tank


Juvenile horseshoe crab

Working calendar:
Below is a basic schedule that I will be following in order to finish all work in a timely fashion.

Marking Period 1 Schedule/Calendar

Due dates:

Calendar- 9/13/13  

Background information- 9/16/13

Design brief- 9/16/13

Specifications and limitations- 9/16/13

Summer research/brainstorming- 9/16/13

Informal presentation- 9/18/13

Rationale report- 9/23/13

Model- 9/23/13

Testing procedures- 9/27/13

Developmental work- 10/25/13

FPU presentation outline- 10/30/13

FPU presentation- 10/31/13

Mentor contacts- 11/2/13

Presentation reflection- 2 days after personal presentation

Log sheets- Due weekly starting on 9/20/13

Working dates:

9/13/13-Finalize calendar on blog

9/14/13-Work on final design brief

9/15/13-Work on finished specifications and limitations

9/16/13-Reorganize alternate solutions

9/17/13- Preparation for informal presentation

9/18/13- Informal presentation and start rationale report

9/19/13- Work on rationale report

9/20/13- Construct model pump system

9/21/13- Construct model aeration system

9/22/13- Construct model heating system

9/23/13- Finishing details on model

9/24/13- Study NOAA heating tank systems

9/25/13- Work on math for pump system

9/26/13- Finalize testing procedures

9/27/13- Post testing procedures on blog

9/28/13- Search for pliable, clear tubing to be used in pump system

9/29/13- Work on alduino system for pump

9/30/13- Research power dampening effect on pumps

10/01/13- Practice programing alduino on pump

10/02/13- Finalize alduino programing research

10/03/13- Rule out separate air stone models

10/04/13- Research effects on air stones under sand

10/05/13- Discuss aeration of tank with mentors

10/06/13- Find proper location for tank cooler

10/07/13- Make sure tank cooler can keep tank at constant(or near constant) temperature

10/08/13- Find place to buy proper nutrients for horseshoe crabs

10/09/13- Make sure that the required amounts of nutrients can be purchased

10/10/13- Check that filtration system won’t reduce amount of nutrients

10/11/13- Find way to join filtration and pump systems

10/12/13- Make sure measurements of systems fit with tank design

10/13/13- Calculate math on drainage time

10/14/13- Check pump system so that more water is being produced than being drained

10/15/13- Talk to mentor to make sure of proper salinity

10/23/13- Finish developmental work

10/28/13- Write outline for presentation

10/29/13- Prepare for presentation

10/31/13- Make sure mentor contacts are recorded

11/1/13(Tentative date)-Write presentation reflection

Log sheets will be worked on each week.