conclusion/future

Sediment data was analyzed for heavy metal concentrations on two axes: vertically, in the core of Paramecium Pond, and spatially, in different important locations in the pond system. Distinct variations were found for different metals, for different locations, and at different depths. In the sediment cores, consistently greater metal concentrations were found in the top 50 centimeters of sediment than the bottom, suggesting that the metals may be recently deposited. Spatially, analyses imply that Paintshop Pond is still contributing heavy metals to Paramecium Pond, as well as runoff. In future work, turning this into a long-term sediment study would be highly beneficial, especially to investigate seasonal differences. We also suggest a more nuanced depth core study by analyzing samples of much smaller intervals—perhaps every five to 10 centimeters instead of 50. Taking depth cores in more locations of the pond to improve accuracy would be prudent as well.