Life Below Water, Ninth Grade Science Projects (Page 2)

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

When you go to the beach, you may not know if the beach is natural or man-made. The popularity of sandy beaches prompted developers in the past to bring in sand to cover rocky shorelines and turn them into more popular sandy beaches. However, the actions of the tides, currents and waves carried the extra sand out into the reef, endangering the reef and the creatures living on it. You can use a water table to conduct experiments with sand movements and reefs. How is sand moved by water? How… Read more

Track the Journey of Harbor Porpoises

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wondered what life is like for different animals, and where it is that they roam? For example, how large is the area they live in, and why do they go to different locations? While we can set up cameras to watch animals that live on land, it can more challenging to see the lives of animals that live underwater, especially in the vast oceans. In this ocean science project, you will use satellite tracking data to learn about the activity patterns of harbor porpoises. How far do they… Read more

Macroinvertebrates as Indicators of Pollution

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

In this science project, you will collect macroinvertebrate samples from multiple points along a body of water, ideally a small creek or stream, and test the pollution burden and biodiversity of small organisms or insects to see if pollution impacts biodiversity. Read more

Clean Up The Water with a Trash-Skimming Robot

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Engineers are trying to tackle the world's ocean pollution problem using robots. Some robots, like Mr. Trash Wheel and the ship featured in this Mark Rober video, are stationary and collect trash as it flows out of rivers before it gets into the ocean. Others, like the Jellyfishbot, are mobile and can squeeze into narrower spaces to collect trash: Can you build and test your own trash-skimming robot? If you do not have access to a natural body of water to test it in, you can use a bathtub or a… Read more

Heavy Metals and Aquatic Environments

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You might know that lead can be toxic, and that you can get lead poisoning from eating or inhaling old paint dust. Lead is called a heavy metal, and there are other sources of heavy metals that can be toxic, too. Silver, copper, mercury, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium are all heavy metals that can be toxic in certain environments. In this experiment, find out if one common heavy metal, copper, can be toxic to an aquatic environment. Read more

Invasive Species

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Invasive species are organisms (either plant or animal) that have been introduced into a new, non-native area and spread rapidly in the new environment due to a lack of regulation by predators. Frequently, invasive species will out-compete native species for resources which can put native species at risk. This is an especially big problem for threatened habitat and endangered species, which are already at risk. Survey your area to document cases of invasive species invading a local… Read more

Runoff and Fertilizer Use

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Many people routinely use fertilizer for crops, gardens, and lawns. What people don't know is that each time they apply fertilizer, the fertilizer seeps through the soil into the water table. This can eventually lead to the contamination of a local water source, like a stream, pond, lake, bay, or ocean. This is an especially big problem for agricultural practices that frequently use large amounts of fertilizer on fields that are connected by irrigation channels. The run-off of fertilizer… Read more

SeaPerch: An Underwater Robot

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Underwater robots, or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), help us explore areas of the ocean that can be dangerous for humans. They can provide valuable scientific information about deep-sea life and ocean climate. However, you do not need access to the ocean to build and test your own ROV. If you have ever wanted to build your own ROV but were not sure where to start, the SeaPerch platform is a great option. You can purchase a complete kit with all the required parts and follow the detailed… Read more

Do Plants Promote Pesticide Breakdown?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

When pesticides are applied to protect crops, run-off of potentially harmful pesticides is a major problem. Can water plants such as hardstem bulrush, common cattail, parrotfeather and smooth scouring rush promote pesticide breakdown? If so, diversion of irrigation run-off into plant-filled ponds could help reduce pesticide pollution. Mix malathion at 12.5% of the recommended application strength (to simulate dilution by rain or irrigation water). Use 5-gallon buckets for testing various… Read more

Silt Deposits in Streams

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Silt is a fine sediment that collects on the bottoms of rivers, streams and lakes. The natural process of the decay of organisms into the water can lead to the production of silt at the bottom of a lake. Silt can be a rich source of nutrients for fish and bottom dwellers like crayfish. However, it can also be introduced by unnatural processes. One problem for rivers, lakes and streams is the buildup of excess fine sediment introduced by industry. Because it often contains harmful chemicals it… Read more

Life Below Water, Ninth Grade Science Projects (20 results)

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