***IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM GOVERNOR TURNER***PLEASE READ IMMEDIATELY***

Agents:
I was sharing your posts with a collegue who stated oysters DO NOT filter water. Please send me your scientific data to prove oysters DO filter water.
Keep up the good work and fight the good fight:
Governor Turner

GERM BUSTERS / LAUREN

TODAY EARLY THIS MORNING WE HAD TO MAKE A ROW BOAT THAT EVERY ONE IN THE GROUP HAD TO FIT IN ONE NEWSPAPER BOAT. WE COULD ONLY USE TWO PACKS OF NEWSPAPERS AND ONE ROLL OF DUCK TAPE. NEAR THE END OF THE DAY WE HAD MADE SOME GRAPHS THAT INCLUDE THE POLLUTIONS WE USED AND THE CLEAN WATER.

~ THANKS GOVENER  TUNER !!!!!!

PSS  THIS IS ALL THE INFOMATION WE HAVE SO FAR.

Germ Busters/Canai

Today I  did a  graph on  pollution levels in the newport news resevoir. I am sorry that my collegue decided to do her own thing. Thanks governer for all that you have done.

peter and achraf from group A

Dear Governor Turner

       We found two good filters, gravel and coffe filter. We finsh  the fish tank.

Germ Busters

Today we did a turbidity test on different things like clay, gravel, sand, cotton balls, strainers, polyfill,  and coffee filters. We drew a team design plan of a na-tur-al things. We also researched technology highway, our questions were
1 how can we help animal populations that have been lost.
2what have people done to restore the bay.

Our finds were that gravel and coffe filters were the best filters.

we also found out that fishing and oysters went down.

oysters

We found out that oysters fillter the water.Also we found that there are two good fillters. the two best are coffee fillters and gravel.

Lola And Mychaela

Dear Mr.Turner 

                                               we learned how to help animals population that have been lost due to health for example clean there habitats by filters     filters well remove the bad things the filters that are the best are gravel and coffee filters to restore the bay we could start getting in touch with where the place they live and plant plants and clean streams 
                                     Mychaela lola

Brooklyn & Shaelyce

                         Dear Dr.Ward,
                     Our findinds today should help alot. We found out that oysters are good for the water  because they help filter it. We did an experiment to find out witch objects would help filter the water best. We found that the coffee filter and the gravel filter the water the best.

                                                                                                       Your agents,
Brooklin & Shaelyce

Taylor and Nyla

The best filter for the ocean was coffee filter and gravel  if we used oysters to put in the water it would be hard because oysters are decreasing.

We found the answer

We found the answer! The best filter is gravel or a coffee filter.     Thanks for the challenge





Gavin   Paige

Nyla and Taylor

Great data collection. We will share your data with other scientists and will be waiting for further observations and data collections. Thank you for all the work you have done so far.

Lola and Mychaela

Thank you for sharing the data you have collected. We will be sharing your results with other scientists in a conference this afternoon. What inferences can you make from all of the data you have collected here during your conference?

Germ Busters

I am impressed with the data your team collected. How might the data your team collected help us to open the beaches? Thank you for being dedicated scientists during this mission.
                                                                             Governor Ward

Shaelyce & Brooklin

Thank you foir being such a dedicated team of scientists on this mission. I am awaiting your results.
                                                                        Governor Ward

shaelyce

  Dear Govener,
      After lunch we played  a game called tv tag  that talks about the chesapeake bay and  we did a little thing about the samples that  you sent us.



                                                                    Your agent,
                                                                              Shaelyce

                                                                            

Grem Busters

We tested the waters that one of the teachers had brought in. we were wondering what we were going to do with the water for u . We had found out the good water from the bad water. The data that we had was from newport news resivore. With the class we were talking about where the water was going, how it could get to place to place and how it would cause danger.

SAMPLE 1 soap
SAMPLE 2 weed killer
SAMPLE 3 miracle gro
SAMPLE 4 mud

This is all we have for now
GOVENER TUNER

lola and mychaela

a couple of minutes ago we found out that most plant stuff to make your grass pretty and perfect can have a huge affect on our oceans thanks for  giving us our samples
 this us reporting to you from vista agents
                                                       

                     
                                                          mychaela and lola

Nyla and Taylor

Today we tested the samples you gave  us
  ;PH          Turbity        Temperature
   5                 136 jtu           22
    7                 196jtu            21
   7                                         21
   8                                         21

Turbitity

Just tested an resevoire has 44.2 turbidity



Gavin    Paige

                       Dear governor Turner,
                          I'm sorry that we didn't get to write back to you on Friday. So we work so hard  the work that you send us.



                         

                                                                       Jomaira and Dre

team Investigators

Over the weekend I watched the news and found out that the rest of the bay is starting to close soon I was wondering what the samples are that you gave us we are still trying to figure out why our beaches are closing but we dont know why just we just yet but we have a pretty good idea and we will report back to you ASAP

Peter and Achraf part of group A

Dear Govenor Turner,

       Thank you for the plants you sent us. I think the samples you sent us were water samples.

shaelyce & brooklin

  we would like to know what is in the box that says CAUTION SAMPLES

Germ Buster

 Over the weekend we saw that they were dead fish on the shore of the beach .They had said that it was because of the fishing net someone had but out to catch fish had a hole in it.

 1. What type of water did you send us.




THANKS !!!!!!!

Qusetion

What kind of sanpels did you send ?

Samples

Thanks for the samples.  Why does it say caution?


Gavin       Paige

Welcome Back!

Investigators,
  
We hope you had a restful weekend! We have alot of work to do in solving our beach problem. Good luck with your investigations, we are anxiously awaiting your results!
Please include in your correspondence any observations you may have made over the weekend.
                                                                  Agent Ward,
                                                                       FBEI

I think humans have a huge impact on the wetlands decreasing by poluting and that creates runoffs which can travel different wetlands we should put signs and make it a law.

Shalyce and Brooklin

Dear Shalyce and Brooklin,
I know you guys said that you researched the forest habitat but how did you finally decide to present it?  Forests are a very important part of the Bay.  Do you know what kinds of animals live in the forests of the Bay and why these animals are important?

I appreciate the two of you continuing to figure out how we can help the Bay.  I need to get the beaches opened ASAP.

Thank you for your hard work.  Please continue to research.

-Governor Turner

Nyla and Taylor

Dear Nyla and Taylor,
Oysters are a very important part of the Chesapeake Bay.  I knew wetlands were decreasing, but I did not realize they were decreasing from 90 to 70 acres a year.  What reasons do you think the wetlands are decreasing?  What actions can be done to stop the decreasing of this land?

Thank you for all of your hard work this week.  Continue researching.

-Governor Turner

Team Investigators- Shallow Water

Dear Team Investigaators- Shallow Water,
If I am not mistaking this is Lola.  I heard about how well you did today by yourself.  Many of the scientists I know have had days where they worked alone too.   However, you did not let it hinder your ability to get the job done today.  I am sure the brochure is amazing.  Now about this field trip, you saw alot of different animals.  I wished I could have went.  Unfortunately, I had meetings for the most part today.  Continue researching.  Thank you for working so hard today!

Keep investigating,
Governor Turner

Germ Busters

Dear Germ Busters,
I am so excited about the habitat model.  I am sure the marine biologist will love to have a model to examine.
Keep up the investigating.  You guys are doing a fantastic job!

Governor Turner

Gavin and Paige

Dear Gavin and Paige,
I am so excited about you guys making a model of a an aquatic reef.  Aquatic reefs are a very important part of the ecosystem.  I also like your idea of creating a website on saving the bay.  I will have to pass that on to my technology department in order to see if that's a possibility.  Thank you for the idea!

Gain and Paige keep investigating in order to me get these beaches reopened. 

Keep investigating,
Governor Turner

Peter and Achraf

Dear Peter and Achraf,
I am so glad you guys liked the stuff I sent you.  I am sorry the plants were not in the package.  That was simply an oversight on my part.  I will make sure my assistant gets the plants sent to you guys.  Thank you for all of your hard work. 

Keep investigating,
Governor Turner

Shaelyce & Brooklin

         What we did today was we did a little project and we also went on a little trip or you could say it was a little field trip.We made a forest habitat on what lives in the forest.It was  really fun.But I'm still working on the bay by seeing what we can do to help the bay. Hope you like what I wrote to you.
                                                    your agents,
          
brooklin&

nyla and taylor

We can appreciate the vital functions oysters serve in the Bay's ecosystem as well as there cultural and economic importance to the region. Oysters help humans and animals with nessary to the continuation of life. Oysters were habitat to fish. Oysters eat plankton so if theres no plankton no oysters which means animals die then we die. Aquatic Reef Makes a good natural habitat for oyster and mussels are good for the bay. Marshes are  important because they provide homes for  animals. They keep surrounding waters clean.  By humans wetlands are downgrading by 90 to 70 arces a year. A healthy forest has plants animals soil and grass

team Investigators

Today we all made projects about habitats and finished before we went home. I did a brochure about shallow water. I thought it turned out great and so did everyones. I learned about what lives there and why it is important. Also we went on a field trip and saw turtle eggs, crawfish, salamanders, and different kinds of turtles. 
                       7/8/2011       
                                  team Investigators

Germ Busters

Today we had to do an experement to show the habitat that we had gotten.We used a shoe box and used it as a base and but blue clay on the top as water.Once we were done we put dirt and sand on the top of the bo to also show the land scape. After we put sand on the top of the box we had put little and big animals in different places to show were that animal lived.At the end we had showed it to every body and they all loved our habitats.

" THANKS GOVENER TURNER" !

We just finished making a model of a aquatic reef.  We showed human impact.  The humans had impact on the water because they  We would beg for you to make a website, palooted  the waterwww.savetheVAbay.com Please blog to me if you can.  Please do anything to help. 



Gavin


Paige

Peter and Achraf part of group A

Dear Govenor Turner,

      Today we found the supplies that you sent us. Thanks for choosing us for the fish tank experiment. We put the gravel in the fish tank, but we first had to wash it lots of times to make sure there was no dirt. We don't have the plants. We are hoping you could sent us some. Hope to here from you.

Urgent Message!

VISTA Agents,
It was brought to my attention by my trusted secretary that she had to fix many spelling errors with my last blog.  I relate my errors to my mind working much faster than my fingers.  Please accept my apologies.

However, I need help fast!  I just left a meeting.  In the meeting, I was informed that we need to be able to present healthy habitats to the marine biologists.  They have an understanding of the habitats but are not 100% sure.  We need to make sure we get them accurate information in order present healthy habitats of the Chesapeake Bay.  These habitats will be presented to the citizens of all the states dealing with the beach closings.  To make things presentable, I was informed the presentations should be a brochure, PowerPoint, drawing or model explaining what a healthy habitat at Chesapeake Bay should look like.  If you have any other ideas on how to present your habitat to the marine biologists, please feel free to do so.  Please use the information from the envelopes I sent earlier to guide your research. 

Remember your presentations must show the following:
1.  What does YOUR habitat look like?  Why is it important to the Chesapeake Bay?
2.  What is the human impact on YOUR habitat?
3.  How could YOUR findings help us get the beaches reopened ASAP?

Please help me with this fellow Agents! 

Keep investigating,
Governor Turner

UPDATE

Investigators,

I had a new thought and I wanted to share it with you right before I left for my meeting....

As you complete your first week, I think you are getting a lot of vital and important information.  Remember you will need that information to be able to help me open those beaches!

I need to know how you can use what you know now about the Chesapeake Bay to help figure out why the beaches aren't safe anymore.

An idea I had is to find out which habitats are affected the most and why...maybe then we can fix this problem in the bay.

I have also updated your research on Portaportal with the latest information!

-Governor Turner

Team investigators' disolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, and turbidity findings

    Yesterday my team and I did an experiment on disolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, and turbidity.

 The temp. for the sink water was 23.4 Celsius.
The salinity for the sink water was 0.0

The bay water temp. was 22.1 Celsius
The bay water salinity for bay water was 7.8

The lake water temp. was  21.6 Celsius
The lake water salinity was 0.0


The turbidity for the lake water was 100 JTU
The turbidity for sink water was 100 JTU
The turbidity for bay water was 100 JTU


The dissolved oxygen level for clear water was 4ppm
The dissolved oxygen level for lake water was 4ppm
The dissolved oxygen level for bay water was 8ppm

After we were done with finding the dissolved oxygen level, the instruction booklet told us to mix the ppm and the temp. that we found earlyer for the water, and find a %.

The % for clear water was 46%
The % for lake water was 44%
The % for bay water was 92%

                                    Your agents,

                                                                                                      Team investigators

OK be right on it we'll TAKE THE SECOND SECTION OF QUESTIONS








GAVIN       PAIGE

Agents

I need your help on a different matter! I have received new information from my sources and new questions have been raised.
First: What is a habitat? What are the characteristics of healthy or unhealthy bay?
Second: What are the different kinds of habitats around the bay? How are the habitats interconnected?
Third: Why are oysters important to the bay? Tell me the positive and negative impacts to fishing?
Fourth: How plants, animals, and people affect the bay and habitats? (positive and negative?)

WE need to relate all of these questions to the beaches being closed. Get this information back to me by lunch today. I have a meeting.

Governor Turner

Brooklin & Shaelyce

 We think littering is getting people sick because it could pollute the water and that is bad! I think we could stop people from littering by putting up signs and putting out more trash cans.
                        Your agents,
                              Brooklin &shaelyce

About the algee blooms. Yes they could be the reason for people getting sick







Agent Gavin   (smarties)

Germ Busters

Yesterday we found out the salinity, turbidity, nitrates, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and coliform bacteria in the different types of waters. The different types of water we tested were bay water, lake water, and regular h2o.This information is linked to the beach closings because when it rains the water might carry some harmful products into the bays,oceans,lakes, and rivers.

nyla

Dear Governor,     Today we did the bay and lake water test. It was fun. The stuff you send was very helpful to me to figure  out what  it is. thanks talk to you Monday moring

Germ Busters Findings

Hello Mister Governor,


Our research from yesterday showed  that an idea of what could be making people sick is cigarettes in our garden that would soon be in the bay.



Your friends

Gavin    Paige

Breaking News!

Dear Fellow Agents,
          The marine biologists have just discovered what the healthy readings for dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and salinity should be.  The following are the resluts:

Dissolved oxygen:  5-7 ppm
Turbidity:  0 jtu
Salinity: 35 ppt

How did your investigations of the Bay compare with the findings of the marine biologists?

I also need your help in another matter.  I have been asked by the head VISTA Investigator to appear on Jeopardy with the other mayors concerning the beach closings.  Please help me review in order to beat the other mayors with my knowledge of the Bay and possible reasons for the beach closings.  I want to make sure that I cover all bases.  After completing the Jeopardy game, please record any other questions that you think may be asked on the show.  Please report these possible questions to me no later than 10:00 a.m. Monday morning.

Keep investigating,

Governor Turner 

To Brooklin and Shaelyce

Thank you for your detailed account of your findings and of the run off demonstration.  That is very interesting about the water chestnuts and how moss is bad for plants and animals because it blocks sunlight.  We'll have to investigate more because you are right, it could be why people are getting sick!  Why do you think littering is a possible reason for people getting sick?  How can we prevent this problem?

Keep up the good investigative work!

-The Governor

To Team A and Team Smarties

Teams,

I'm shocked that those photos weren't the oil spill.  I'm really glad to know that it's algae blooms that are located in the Chesapeake Bay.  That's important information - is algae unhealthy for the Bay?  Could that have to do with the beaches being closed?

Also thanks for sharing about the run off experiment.  Next time I will try to find more space for you to conduct that experiment. 

Good luck on Friday for your research!

-The Governor

To Germbusters

Germbusters,

Thank you for your important information that you sent me from the previous day. I found out a lot about runoff based on your descriptions. What could this have to do with the beach closings?

Thank you,
Governor Turner

July 7, 2011 Urgent

Dear Agents,

We have discovered a strange and unusual bug right in James City County! I am wondering where it fits into the ecosystem of the watershed.  I am hoping you can tell me how the different organisms in the ecosystem interact.  Maybe this will help shed some light on our beach problem.

Governor Turner

PS Here is a web-site that might prove useful in your investigation.  http://www.chesapeakebay.net/bfg_index.aspx 

Germ Busters

Today we did an experiment on run off . We had to find stuff that was in the woods to help with the structure on the project. We made our structure and used some trash water to pour down the ramp to make the run off. When we poured the water down the ramp and it flouded the place and moved the oil and other liquid stuff. We think that we could use somting that is stronger and that is reused.Thank you governer for letting us do the job.

Team A

Dear, Governor

      Today we went outside and gathered trash to show runoff from farms and streets. It worked all right ,but we could of used a bigger space. It didn't work that well because we didn't have a lot of water.

smarties

                                                                            Dear, Govenor
Today we had to figure out some ideas of the photos you gave us to figure this out we had to do.we looked at one of the pictures.We thought at first that it might of been a oil spill but after we did the reasearch and found out it was a algae blooms we also had to make a runoff with things we found in the enviroment. It looked harder  then you think you had to get dirty  and maybe a little wet. These are just some things we found out and did that my be helpful to you.
         7/6/2011

TOP SECRET July 7, 2011

Dear FBEI Agents,

I have read over the information you sent yesterday.  Excellent stuff!  We still don't have an answer yet.  I'm afraid we still need more information.  I have sent a Top Secret package to you this morning.  The package contains all the materials you will need for today's investigation.  Good luck to you.  I look forward to recieving your results at the end of the day.

Governer Turner

Do jellyfish poop?

 Dear FBEI Deputies,

We hear that you're investigating the health of our local beaches, and that you've asked a question about jellyfish and whether or not they poop. We've consulted our resources and here's the scoop:

Jellyfish usually drift along with ocean currents and catch food in their long tentacles.  These tentacles have structures called nematocysts that sting and paralyze such unfortunate organisms, which float into these deadly traps.  When a jellyfish captures its prey--such as small fish, zooplankton, and eggs or larvae of sea creatures--it pulls the food into its mouth, which is located on the underside of its bell-shaped body.  If the jellyfish takes in food, it must have some way to release waste products...

It turns out that the mouth or oral cavity of a jellyfish also serves as its anus, from which it expels any waste matter.  When food is pulled in through the mouth it enters something known as a gastrovascular cavity, which serves as a very basic kind of stomach.  This is where digestion takes place.  As the food is being broken down, nutrients are taken up by the cells of the organism to help it to carry out other bodily functions, and the waste material (feces) is then expelled with water from the oral cavity.

So, yes. Jellyfish do poop... through their mouths!

Hope this information helps! We're looking forward to your results about the beaches.

Sincerely,
FBEI Field Research Department

Vista Summer camp findings

   Hello Dr. Ward, we found many things within the pictures. We learned about water chesnuts and how they are bad for the water, we also learned that moss is bad for the water because it blocks sunlight from the plants and animals. One of the things that concerd us was the oil spills. We thought it was terrible. Latter on in the day we learned about run-offs. We did a whole experiment on it. I personally thought it was a bad experement because I didnt really prove or show anything. Anyway thank you for all the clues and letting us help you with the beaches.
Why are people littering in the water? That might be the problem why people are getting sick Dr.Ward.

                                         Your Agents,
                                          Brooklin & Shaelyce

Team A

Dear Governor,
         Today we went outside and experiment how the farm  pollutes in the ocean

July 6- Afternoon

Good afternoon guys.  I hope you enjoyed your lunch.  Please remember I need you to report your findings to me by 3:00 P.M. TODAY!

My marine biologists are eagerly waiting your findings in order to help get the beaches reopened as soon as possible. 

Continue investigating,
Governor Turner

TOP SECRET

Good morning VISTA Investigators.
Accordiing to my agent, your packages have been delivered.  I need you to find evidence that can connect the contents of your packages to the beach closings.

Remember this is a TOP SECRET Mission!

Keep investigating,
Governor Turner

VISTA Investigators

COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA

Office of the Governor

July 6, 2011

Dear VISTA Investigators:

The state of Virginia is in dire trouble.  As governor, I need your help immediately to solve a major problem for all citizens of Virginia.  As you know, the beaches were closed yesterday.  Rumor suggests that it is due to river monsters and giant jellyfish, but how do we know that’s true?  I need more concrete evidence.  I need to know what an unhealthy bay is and how plants and animals are affected.  The marine biologists found these to be the important questions but they were stumped and unable to find the answers. 

Your job is to investigate how the bay is unhealthy and report back to me by 3:00 PM today.  Thank you for all the important investigative work you are doing.  Your community appreciates all your research and hard work.

Sincerely,

Governor Turner

Governor Turner