July 17, 2018 – Last Tuesday Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset)
had the opportunity to meet with and congratulate three brilliant young women
in her community. The Legislator invited Madison Tutone, Caitlin Tucker, and
Kaya Manolt to the General Meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature so that
they could be honored for their research project.
Though these girls are still in High School at Sachem North, they have
undertaken a research project titled “The Effect of Vegetated Buffer Zones on
Aquatic Biodiversity,” they worked with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for the
Barcode Long Island program. The project tested mans impact on the biodiversity
of ponds. The young women tested two ponds, one with a vegetative buffer from
human development and another without a buffer.
The girls found that there was greater biodiversity in the pond that
had a vegetative buffer, however the water quality of the pond with a buffer
suggests that even with the buffer the pond was negatively impacted by human
development close by. In addition to the main finding of their study, they were
also able to add new information to the GenBank, meaning they discovered unique
elements in DNA strands that had not yet been recorded by other scientists.
“I am so proud of these young
women who have undertaken serious scientific work, and I am confident that this
is just the beginning of what they will add to scientific research,” said
Legislator Leslie Kennedy. “I find it refreshing that these young women are
interested in the field and our environment and have already made significant
discoveries and contributions.”
For more information about this event or other
events in the community, feel free to call our office at (631)-854-3735 or log
onto Legislator Kennedy’s Facebook page at
facebook.com/legislatorlesliekennedy.