I. GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH PAPER

For this assignment you are required to develop a toxicological report on the Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach that outlines the contaminants and potential ecological and human health risks associated with various sites in the lagoon that will be sampled during the class.

A link to the site map of the lagoon is provided.

http://www.longbeach.gov/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=5255

The format of your research paper will be based upon an existing report of a restoration feasibility  study conducted in 2004 and some of the primary literature, technical reports and analyses used to generate this report.  A copy of the history, general purpose, aims and initiatives related to the restoration project can be obtained at:

 http://www.ci.long-beach.ca.us/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=2179.

The technical report generated from this feasibility is available on the web at:

http://www.longbeach.gov/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=5254

Permits and sources of contamination in the various zip-codes pertaining to the watersheds surrounding Colorado Lagoon can be obtained by using the search engine available at the EPA website: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/commsearch.htm

Groups of students will be assigned one of a number of sampling sites within the Lagoon and each student within the group will be required to write an independent scientific report indicating, how the pollutants were analyzed, identified and quantified, how they have changed since the initial report in 2004, and an assessment of the environmental impact and the risk the measured contaminants pose to the ecosystem and to human health. You should also recommend at strategy to minimize impact and remediate the situation. Although you are expected to draw heavily upon information supplied in the class and in the literature, it is important to note that the content of the paper should be your own work. You will receive no credit for simply making a précis of the original technical reports used to generate the restoration feasibility study or other published toxicity assessment reports.  Students enrolled in 564 will be assigned as group leaders and will be expected to take the primary responsibility for developing the sampling plan, organizing the analyses and compiling the data.  Students enrolled in 564 will also be required to additionally discuss the potential for the interactive effects between the contaminants and their mode of molecular action on target organisms in their report.  
 

A suggested strategy for undertaking the report is given below.  Please note that the analytical component of this class is time consuming and you should endeavor to move ahead with this component at the first possible opportunity.

STEP 1: LITERATURE SEARCH AND COLLATION.

You should compile a data-rich reference base that pertains to the assignment.  A list of suitable journals on aquatic toxicology and environmental impact are available in the university library.  You should aim to collect a number of current articles pertinent to the topic (10-15 primary articles).  However, you should not restrict yourself to materials on campus and are expected to identify other sources of information on your topic including EPA methodologies, white papers and technical reports. There are a number of scientific databases in the reference section of the library and the internet is also a valuable resource for locating relevant articles.

STEP 2: FIRST DRAFT OF RESEARCH PAPER.

Your site of sampling within the lagoon and the target organisms for analysis will be selected for you. After you have conducted the analyses, compiled your data and read the supporting primary literature, technical reports and other articles, you should prepare the first draft of your toxicological report. A suggested outline for your paper is provided below;

1) Abstract (200 word précis of your research paper)

2) Introduction that includes a statement of the restoration problems at the Colorado Lagoon,  historical data that includes a thorough review of the literature on the site, the various recorded contaminants that have been previously identified at the site, their sources and their fates.

3) Analytical Materials and Methodology and Results (a brief presentation of the protocols used for toxicant identification, analysis and quantification, quality assurance and control measures that were undertaken, any errors in analysis,  the reported precision, accuracy and detection limits of the procedures employed). 

4) Toxicological Impact Statement (This section should describe the predicted toxicity of the site based upon the measured toxicants and the apparent degree of pollution). It should discuss the  molecular mode of impact and the mechanistic basis for any cellular, biochemical, physiological or behavioral effects that could occur with the  chemicals present at the site. Students undertaking 564 should describe any antagonistic or synergistic effects that could be expected from these chemicals. Include any other tests that need to be conducted to study effect or mode of action or interaction. These tests/experiments should provide a rational approach for examining the toxicological problem and should be described at a conceptual level rather than in great detail.

5) Remediation/Mitigation Procedures (Proposed action for remediation to minimize environmental impact and risk to human health. A discussion of how the effects of remediation could be monitored to show success)

6) References (use conventional methods of citation to list the various sources of information referred to in the text of your manuscript; i.e. author, title, journal etc.)

The first draft of your paper is due 7th April. Your assignment must be typed and should not exceed 10 pages (Biol. 464 students) or 15 pages (Biol. 564 students) of doubly spaced text when complete. Please supply three copies. You will not be graded on the first draft of the paper.

It is critical that you submit your manuscript on time since it has to be critiqued by a colleague in class and the exchange of assignments has to be synchronous. Students handing in their assignments late will forfeit 10% of the final mark of the research paper/day. It is therefore in your interest to meet this deadline.

STEP 3: CRITIQUE OF RESEARCH PAPER.

Two of three copies of your paper will be forwarded to two fellow students for critical peer review. I will attempt to match up the assignments so that you are critiquing a paper comparable to your own. Please submit your critique and hand back the copy of your colleagues paper by 21st April. This critique will provide everyone with an opportunity to evaluate another paper and to have feedback on their own paper prior to submitting a final version which is due May 20th. You will be graded on the thoughtfulness and rigor of your critique on your colleagues paper. 

STEP 4: FINAL VERSION OF PAPER.

The final version of paper should be handed to me in class May 20th on the date of your final exam. It should be double spaced and must not exceed 10 or 15 pages in length (464 and 564 students respectively). Diagrams, photographs, graphs and tables are strongly encouraged if they can help to exemplify, simplify or clarify particular aspects of the project.

Some critical deadlines relating to the research paper to which you should pay particular attention to are listed below:

7th April: First draft of research paper due
21st April: Critique of first draft due
20th May: Final exam and final version of research paper due.

Please be sure to take advantage of my office hours if you have questions concerning the research paper or any other aspect of the course.