High School IB Students Conduct Research at Nike Salt Marsh

As part of their requirements for an International Baccalaureate Diploma, a group of IB Diploma candidates conducted a collaborative science research project at the Nike Environmental Center.

For this project, students formed five groups to study different aspects of the marshland surrounding the center. One group studied the distribution patterns of ribbed mussels throughout the marsh. Another collected and examined shells to determine the diet of birds there. A third group tracked the diversity of debris they collected, and compared their findings to international statistics. The fourth group studied the diversity of plankton found in these local waters, while the fifth group conducted a soil study, testing for levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the marsh grasses and root structures.

When they concluded their individual studies, they pooled their research to gain a greater understanding of the relationships between the scientific disciplines and the overarching nature of the scientific method.