Overview

We found that the temperature rose as we neared and passed through the canal and fell as we exited. As expected, salinity levels fell in the canal (the canal is fed by the freshwater Lake Gatun).

DN levels were relatively consistent throughout the passage, with a peak in Lake Gatun. DO level fell to undetectable as we neared the canal and, within our data set, did not recover as we exited.

Visually, we saw increased waste pollution as we neared the canal and passed through it. We did not see a significant decrease in waste pollution as we exited.

During SeaMester, students crew a 112-foot sailboat while maintaining a full course load. During my program, we sailed from Antigua, through the Panama Canal, and to Tahiti, crossing over 7,000 nautical miles of ocean.

As part of our oceanography course, my team and I investigated the way the Panama Canal impacted the water approaching, passing through, and leaving the canal. Given the equipment onboard, we were able to measure salinity, temperature, dissolved nitrogen (DN), and dissolved oxygen (DO), as well as make a qualitative record of waste pollution. We collected data at intervals starting at 80 nautical miles away from the canal, through every lock in the canal, the middle of Lake Gatun, and at the same intervals exiting the canal.

Conclusions and Future Work

Can confidently say the canal impacts temperature, salinity, and waste pollution. While there appeared to be some impact on DO and little impact on DN, expanding the testing region to see a broader impact and where levels returned to ‘normal’ could be useful. To get a better picture, we could measure suspended sediment and dissolved chemicals, both of which could be affected by canal operations and the heavy ship traffic in the area. On each side of the canal are large cities (Panama City on the Pacific and Colón on the Atlantic), which may also impact levels.