Allison, California Grade 9, Age 15 Allison’s report about tidal pools won a 2005 Young Naturalist Award. In this excerpt, Allison clearly explains how she tested her hypothesis and why she tested it that way.

Tidal Pools: Bacterial Variability and Marine Life Stability

Next, I nervously began my efforts to grow bacteria from the ocean water samples. I had collected the 1cc samples in little plastic tubes. I centrifuged these six tubes at 14,000 rpm for seven minutes. At first I wondered why it was necessary to separate out the bacteria from the ocean water in a centrifuge, but since I only need to use the bacteria, not the water itself, the centrifuge is an ideal method for separation so that I had easier access to the bacteria. In fact, I was able to throw away the seawater.

Learn more about Allison and her report.