Real World Scientific Research

The students in Bretton Woods Elementary School Teachers Veronica Weeks’ and Tara Gray’s 5th grade classes recently participated in Cornell University’s invasive fish monitoring program. The students evaluated environmental DNA by collecting water samples to identify the spread of invasive fish species in New York as part of the Cornell University project.

“By actively participating in this real world research project in collaboration with Cornell scientists, Ms. Weeks and Ms. Gray’s students have provided valuable data contributing to our understanding of invasive fish species throughout New York State,” described Donna Cassidy-Hanley, PhD, a senior research associate in the College of Veterinary Medicine. “Ms. Weeks has been part of the program for several years and has provided valuable feedback to us.”

The Bretton Woods students were among the more than 1,500 students from about 60 schools who have participated in the study since October 2014. The students helped test for the presence of round goby, sea lamprey, snakehead fish and four species of Asian carp across the state as well as developed probes for a few species of Asian swamp eels that have started to migrate from the south and New York City. Results of quantitative PCR analysis of the students’ samples have revealed, for example, the presence of round goby in the same Erie Canal and Oneida Lake locations where professional scientists have identified them as well as in several sites where they had been undetected.

“Many people question the legitimacy of citizen science, especially with students—especially with something this sophisticated,” she stated. “The results have shown that, with the right structure and presentation, schoolchildren can contribute useful scientific data.” The students’ results from across New York State are displayed on maps that teachers can show students, and students can use to tell their parents about their contributions to an important scientific study.