Student Scientists Present their Findings April 16, 2010

On April 6th, eighth graders from Halau Ku Mana presented the findings of their Makiki Stream ecology research for community members at the Hawaii Nature Center.

Using their home ahupua’a as a base, students have spent the last quarter doing original research on Makiki stream. Working together students made their own hypothesis and designed their own experiment. They then spent weeks in the field collecting data and analyzing their results.

The young scientists predicted that if the flow was high in an area of the stream, then the amount of organisms would decrease because not all organisms can cling to the substrate.
Several stretches of the stream were used to collect data in support of this hypothesis–they measured stream flow, collected, identified and counted organisms and took baseline data.

After analysis of their data, they found that much of their data did support their initial hypothesis and there was a general trend of finding fewer organisms in high flow areas. Additionally, they discovered that they encountered more organisms in areas where the substrate was finer, such as sand and silt, versus larger, such as cobble and boulder.

Students culminated the project with a presentation for community members at the Hawaii Nature Center. Halau Ku Mana staff and faculty, Hawaii Nature Center staff and parents were among the attendees.