Caulerpa mexicana is a closely related cousin to Caulerpa taxifolia, an alga has been deemed invasive in various tropical waters worldwide. In fact, due to their genetic and aesthetic similarities, Caulerpa mexicana has been placed on invasive watch lists to avoid any misidentifications better C. taxifolia and C. mexicana. Due to their potentially harmful effects, the electromagnetic fields in this experiment were applied in hopes of finding an efficient physical method of eradication.
The purpose of this experiment is to identify the effects of electromagnetic fields on the percent of light absorption by Caulerpa mexicana during photosynthesis. One sample of C. mexicana was exposed to an EMF with a Gauss reading of 10 mW/cm2. To create an EMF, 100 coils of 12 gauge wire were wound around a 10” PVC pipe and attached to a 15 volt transformer. After one week of exposure, the chlorophyll was extracted from the alga and run through a spectrophotometer to measure the chlorophyll’s percent of light absorption over a 400-800 nm (20 nm increments) range. This data will then be input into a graphing program and analyzed to compare the percent of light absorption between two groups – the experimental and control (zero exposure). This information will be used to determine the effects of electromagnetic fields on the percent of light absorption by Caulerpa mexicana.
Caulerpa (w/Diver)
Level of infestation in a given area.
