Turbidity - What's That All About?

by Caleb

I am a student in the Home Based Partnership Ocean Guardians class. We go down the Maria Ygnacio creek to test the water. One of these test is turbidity, turbidity is measuring how clear the water is. The greater the turbidity the murkier the water is. Solids vary from clay, silt and plankton, industrial waste and sewage.

If the water is dirty, how does it affect the ecosystem? When the turbidity is higher it affect the organisms in the creek. The particles floating in the water absorbs heat from the sunlight, which causes the water to become warmer. Warmer water holds less oxygen. A lack of sunlight causes some bugs to die because they’re is not enough oxygen in the water.