Student scientists test the waters

By: Mathew Mesa/Contributing Writer

 

In the wake of devastating Red Tide and King Tide phenomenon, the University’s Center for Aquatic Chemistry and Environment is producing innovative tools to protect both people and aquatic life alike.

Thanks to a $5 million five-year grant from the National Science Foundation, CAChE is now designated as a Center of Research Excellence in Science and Technology, a national designation. The CREST initiative focuses on training students to deal with issues relating to the contamination of aquatic environments.

“We really try to focus on getting our students to be better communicators of environmental issues and bringing their work to the public,” said Bradley Schonhoff, program manager for CREST, and co-instructor for undergraduate courses CAChE Discovery 1 and 2.

Applications of CREST CAChE student projects have already gone public. The team has deployed two of its Research Buoys in different locations around Miami, with a third scheduled to deploy soon, according to Schonhoff.

The Buoys are equipped with an array of sensors that measure certain variables in bodies of water such as pH levels, depth, temperature, and turbidity, among other factors. The sensors are powered by solar panels on the Buoy itself.

The first of these Research Buoys was deployed near the Biscayne Bay campus as an immediate response to the Red Tide outbreak along Florida’s east coast. Its main purpose at this location was to act as a warning system in case the phenomenon’s reach spread to Haulover Inlet, Schonoff said that in the event of an outbreak in this area, the Buoy could provide vital data.

“We were monitoring to see if we were going to see a spike in algae, and then we would be able to test for red tide. Fortunately, we never saw anything that would raise an alarm,” said Schonhoff. “[The Buoy] also tells us what direction the water is flowing, so it doesn’t just tell us whether we have a spike in algae, but also what direction it’s coming from.”

The second Research Buoy was deployed at a Coral Gables canal, where it monitors water quality to compare normal weather conditions with extreme conditions such as heavy rain.

Each of the Buoys upload live data every hour, which can be viewed through a link on the CREST CAChE website.

In collaboration with architecture and engineering students, the students at CREST CAChE are hard at work on another project dubbed the Water Wand, which measures certain variables in the water during King Tide events.

During King Tide, water levels in certain areas rise higher than normal and can cause flooding on a sunny day without rain, which can lead to damaged vehicles and properties.

When King Tide does occur the University hosts events in which people in the community are given kits to analyze the flood water salinity, depth and other factors. These kits often leave room for error, according to Jorge Tubella, a graduate architecture student and project manager of the Water Wand team.

“The problem is that these community scientists are not formally trained, so the data was not as reliable as it could be. The idea is to get this kit and automate it,” said Turbella. Hence, the Water Wand was created to minimize the error.

The Water Wand utilizes a phone app and Bluetooth connectivity in order to collect data from the water and transmit it to a database, which Turbella hopes that anyone can use to collect data.

“The idea is that the community really starts getting involved and understanding why [king tide] events are happening,” said Turbella.

With the data collected from the Water Wand, scientists can deduce the source of the flooding caused by King Tides and take steps to prevent potential damages.

Turbella and his team are also looking into developing another version of the Water Wand fitted with sensors so it can detect harmful bacteria and other contaminants in the water to help with disaster relief.

Turbella said the main thing he has gained from these projects is community engagement.

“Everything feels a certain way in a lab setting, but when you go out and see 120 people come out at eight o’clock on a Sunday morning to help test the water you start to get an understanding of the implications of the work that you’re doing,” said Turbella. “It’s no longer something that’s theoretical, you actually see that it’s helping the people in your community.”

For more information about CREST CaChE, visit crestcache.fiu.edu.

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