DigitalCommons@Linfield

Testing the Waters: Marine Sponges as Bioindicators of Estuarine Health in Coastal Oregon compares the abundance and diversity of sponges and their associated microbial communities in a heavier vs. lighter impacted estuary in coastal Oregon. As part of this sponge indicator project, the researchers are conducting video transects of field sites to quantify relative abundance and diversity of benthic (i.e. bottom-dwelling) organisms. By capturing still images from the video files, researchers can identify and count organisms in the photos. The resolution decreases during the still capturing process, but the researchers can still get a sense of what types of organisms inhabit the bottom at these sites.