I always knew I wanted to be a marine biologist. When I was six, my parents took me to an aquarium, and I was hooked. But it was in college, when I got to work on an ocean research cruise that I decided to specialize in oceanography. The trip was sponsored by the Plankton Investigative Service, and our goal was to collect as many different types of the microscopic plants and animals as we could, in order to see what, if any, impact the increased number of people fishing there had on the marine ecosystem. Our group was divided into two teams, each responsible for gathering a different type of plankton. Working with the phytoplankton, especially the blue-green algae, was fascinating. We measured the chlorophyll in the water to determine where, and in what quantity, the phytoplankton was. This worked well because the water was so clear, free of sediment and contaminants.
The goal of the study group was to investigate whether more people fishing in the area had
a. a positive impact on the local economy.
b. depleted the supply of fish.
c. made more work for marine biologists.
d. a negative impact on the health of the surrounding waters.
