introduction

The students of Thomas Jefferson High School enrolled in the AP Environmental Science course recently went on field trip to Jean Lafitte Historical Park and Reserve. While on the field trip our mission was to take a water analysis and soil test for three different sites at the park. The sites where we collected water and soil samples consisted of a freshwater marsh, a cypress swamp, and the Mississippi River Barataria tributary. Using the water samples we extracted, we tested the levels of coliform bacteria, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, pH, phosphate, salinity, and turbidity of each. The soil analysis comprised of a pH, potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen test.