Cindy’s comments on the analysis were as follows: “The nitrogen content of the Ulva samples collected  (1.46% Average) was on the low side I think. This may have been due to the Ulva being in a dying off state when it was collected and not actively growing.   In comparison the nitrogen content of actively growing ulva collected in the Southwest River this summer ranged between 2.05% and 3.58%. I think this range has a lot to due with where the Ulva came from  in the Southwest (upstream near the head of the estuary vs downstream at the mouth,  'high' loading tributary vs. 'lower' loading tributary. I am interested in this possible relationship and hope to do a bit more work exploring it.   Using these values and other math I estimate that the total amount of nitrogen removed from Taylor's Pond was between 17.4 kg and 47.8 kg  (worst case to best case). The true value may be somewhere in the middle but feel free to pick whichever value you like best for your reporting.   I asked Yefang Jiang and Peter Nishimura to use the methods used their nutrient loading estimation exercise to estimate the nitrate loading to Taylor's Pond. The daily load is estimated to be 4.95 kg/day. This means your project removed between 3.5 and 9.7 days worth of nitrate loading to the pond or expressed another way between 2% and 5% of the nitrate loading to the pond over the estimated ulva growing season (180 days).” The second project at Taylors involves a small dead end branch of the pond, a former entrance, which collects an excessive amount of this rotting sea lettuce, and is a major source of bad odour. This area was the site of an experiment, suggested by a technician from the Department of Environment, Energy & Forestry. A brush mat has been built in half of this old inlet, with the goal being to consolidate silt in the brush mat and eventually make it into part of the permanent bank, eliminating the opportunity for sea lettuce to accumulate. The brush mat is the largest by far that our group has done. It was started in 2009 and observed for its effectiveness the following summer. The results were favourable, with silting in and new plant growth showing up. In late summer 2010, a second leg was brush matted, and the final portion will be done in 2011. KNWSA’s work on anoxia and nitrates has recently been extended with our involvement in a pilot project on Nutrient Management on a Watershed Basis in the Southwest River. To learn more about this pilot project, visit our page on the Nitrates Pilot Project. To see details of the analysis of the samples from Taylors Pond ulva, click here. For a map pin-pointing the location of Taylors Pond, click here.