12/2009 - Jeffrey Simmons, Mount St. Mary's University, USA

06/2009 - Nancy Dalman, North Georgia College and State University, USA

The focus of my research recently has been water quality in the native waters of North Georgia. I currently have two research projects and a community outreach program that encompass water quality issues:

1. The first project, one that has been ongoing since 2007, examines the impact of human recreation on fecal bacteria counts. The premise for this work is that river sediments harbor high fecal coliform bacteria counts and that humans entering the river disrupt these bacterial stores, amplify waterborne bacteria counts and increase their risk of illness. This spring, we published a paper with data supporting this hypothesis (see recent publications below). Work was done in a stretch of mountain river that receives several hundred people rafting and tubing each day. Our results showed that water samples collected in the evening, near the end of the daily human activity period, contained high levels of sediment within the water column and showed significantly greater E. coli counts than water samples collected in the morning prior to humans entering the water. This trend was only apparent at high traffic sites. We plan to focus our work this summer on identifying the host source of bacteria; measurement of optical brighteners in the water will act as a screening method in this process. The area surrounding this river contains several cattle ranches, poultry farms and houses with septic systems, all of which are possible sources of contamination. Measurement of optical brighteners will distinguish human host from other host sources.

2. The second research project will be initiated this summer in conjunction with biology and physics colleagues. This large - scale study will encompass three watersheds to examine landscape influences on water quality. Similar work has been done in other watersheds; the unique aspect of our work is the clear gradient of human development across these three watersheds. Our plan is to conduct a multi - year study that investigates different land uses and changes in these uses over time on three physically similar watersheds. Water quality (including basic chemical and physical parameters, fecal bacteria counts, Indices of Biotic Integrity, cyanobacteria measurements) will provide a cornerstone to the project, but we hope to extend our collaboration in the future and incorporate measures of human community health and socioeconomic factors.

3. This past fall several biology colleagues and I began an annual community - wide watershed monitoring event. This event, the River Rendezvous, involved college students and community volunteers in conducting a one - day "snapshot" of water quality throughout our county's watershed. The data gathered is currently being used in follow - up bacterial source tracking at sampling locations with high bacterial counts. By making this an annual event, we will be able to collect long - term data that may track changes in water quality, foster interaction between the university and local region and give community members stewardship of our county's rivers.

06/2009 - Alexandra Eaves, BC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences, Canada

The effects of climate change on the world's largest ecosystem, the marine pelagic realm, are largely unknown (1). Although warming is occurring more slowly in the oceans than on land, the response of marine organisms to climate change appears to be faster than terrestrial counterparts (2). Furthermore, different species of marine organisms are responding to climate change at different rates, resulting in disruption among various levels in the marine food web (3). For example, the decline in abundance of key planktonic organisms, and changes in seasonality have been implicated in exacerbating the decline of fish stocks (3). Our research program strives to develop an ecological monitoring program to document the changes in seasonal variation occurring in the marine planktonic environment, and apply the information towards improving fisheries enhancement management practices.

In 2007 the BC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences (a not-for-profit research facility) partnered with the Quinsam Hatchery and At'legay Fisheries Society to develop an environmental sampling program to assess the relationship between the timing of spring plankton blooms and the fitness of Coho salmon being reared for a local stock enhancement initiative. Plankton is an essential food source for young Coho salmon and a disconnect may be occurring between when the hatchery-raised fish are entering the sea versus the optimal period of food availability. To address this issue, plankton sampling is conducted twice weekly and temperature, salinity, zooplankton and phytoplankton in the nearshore environment are analyzed and recorded. The plankton monitoring component is complemented by surveys of the abundance and size of captured enhancement Coho salmon to estimate how much the fish have grown since being released in relation to available plankton conditions. Within two years it has not only become apparent that the release of fish to coincide with plankton blooms significantly increases their feeding success in the near shore environment; but the timing of plankton blooms can vary substantially between years. Our ultimate goal is to develop a streamlined set of criteria that could be used by hatcheries to help determine the optimal time to release juvenile salmon for increased survival.

References: (1) Richardson AJ & Schoeman DS. 2004. Science 305 1609-1612; (2) Richardson AJ & Poloczanska ES. 2008. Science 320: 1294-1295; 3. Edwards M & Richardson AJ. 2004. Nature 430: 881-884.

12/2008 - Marita Davison, UMSA & BIOTA, Bolivia; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, USA

Of the six extant species of flamingo in the world, those restricted to wetlands of the high Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru (Andean flamingo, Phoenicoparrus andinus and James flamingo, P. jamesi) are the most endangered and least studied. As dominant grazers on phytoplankton in their habitats, flamingos play a focal role in aquatic food webs by influencing primary production, nutrient cycling, and species diversity. Two of the most important breeding and feeding sites for Andean and James flamingos across their range, Laguna Colorada and Lago Uru-Uru/Poopo, are located in southwestern Bolivia. Although both of these wetland systems are RAMSAR wetland conservation sites, flamingo populations are declining in both areas as a result of intense human disturbance in the form of unregulated ecotourism (Laguna Colorada) and sewage pollution (Lago Uru-Uru/Poopo). The aim of this research is to combine experimental and monitoring approaches to investigate the influence of pollution and human-induced flamingo loss on biomass of primary producers and lake biodiversity at Laguna Colorada and Lago Uru-Uru/Poopo. Scientific data on the ecological role of flamingos within a context of human disturbance will be directly relevant for promoting sound conservation strategies for these endangered birds and the unique ecological systems of which they are a part.

06/2008 - John Spinicchia- St. Mary's County, Maryland Public Schools, Leonardtown, MD

"We are currently monitoring one of the sites on Breton Bay, a tidal tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Breton Bay is currently listed as impaired under EPA CWA section 303 (d). Breton Bay serves Leonardtown, St. Mary's County seat; The St. Mary's County Waste Water treatment Plant dumps over 1 million gallons of treated waste per day into a tributary of Breton Bay. We need to monitor for eutrophication as indicated by chlorophyll a in vivo concentrations on a monthly basis and submit the data to the Maryland Department of the Environment/ Department of natural Resources. The long term loaner instrument we were using was recently taken back by Morgan State University. We do not have the money in our budget to buy an instrument; this is a public school.

The instrument will allow us to monitor Chl a concentrations and to prepare our yearly report by comparing our data to the other monitoring stations and to the determined TMDL for Chl a. We can also look at turbidity and correlate to the amount of farmland/runoff and application and effectiveness of agricultural and development BMP's."

06/2008 - Dr. Daniel Conde - Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay

"Our main interest is focused on ecological conservation of protected coastal lagoons, through research and monitoring activities. Specifically, we develop our major activities in the Atlantic coastal lagoons of Uruguay, belonging to the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve "Bañados del Este", the Ramsar Convention or the recent National System of Protected Areas. We have focused most of our research efforts on Laguna de Rocha (see www.lagunaderocha.org for more information on this system). These brackish systems exhibit high biodiversity, support more than 400 bird species and have a high production of commercial fishes, supporting several fishermen communities.

However, human eutrophication (due to land use changes) and global change (due to sea level rise and climate modifications) are increasingly impacting these ecosystems, with severe consequences for their local population (e.g. water quality and fisheries reduction). Coastal regions are special sensitive areas in the World that need an integrated management due to multiple interests that coincide spatially.

To achieve our main goal we have been performing studies at these lagoons for more than 10 years, combining basic monitoring, lab experiments and ecological predictive models. Our monitoring program includes water quality and microalgal production measurements and allowed us to detect an increment in phophorus in the water column, probably derived from human activities. Consequently, water quality has been affected and cianobacterial blooms were registered recently, as it has occurred in other coastal systems of the region (e.g. Lagoa dos Patos in southern Brazil). Our work is multidisciplinary and includes researchers from the Limnology, Oceanology, Zoology and Geography Sections of the Faculty of Sciences (UdelaR) and also several graduation and posgraduation students. Local communities are also involved in basic lagoon functioning and monitoring of the water quality. Our work also includes outreach and educational activities with local people and children."

12/2007 - Laurel Standley - Silent Spring Institute, Newton, MA

"The primary barrier to our goal of systematically screening adequate numbers of water samples for endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals is expense, with analysis for each sample costing approximately $1,000. To guide our selection of water samples, we must often use indirect measures of potential contamination, including land use designations, such as residential density, and/or the presence of other wastewater contaminants, such as nutrients. These approaches are helpful but limited. The best proxies for EDCs and pharmaceuticals, beyond incurring the cost of measuring them directly, are compounds in wastewater that behave similarly in ground and surface waters. Fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs), which are added to clothes, detergents, and paper products to brighten their appearance, fit these characteristics; thus, we propose to use them as proxies for EDCs and pharmaceuticals in ground and surface waters. Use of a fluorometer to screen for the presence of wastewater-associated FWAs would greatly streamline sample screening and allow us to more accurately select samples to submit to a laboratory for the more costly analysis of EDCs and pharmaceuticals. For example, on a recent sampling trip a colleague used his fluorometer to pinpoint the location of wastewater plumes to ponds, greatly facilitating our sampling efforts. With a donation of your company's fluorometer, we would have this screening capability available for all our projects."

Update from Donation Recipient 06/05/08
"We are using the Aquafluor Fluorometer to develop a screening method for evidence of wastewater contamination in drinking water, ground water, and surface water samples. We have begun testing tap water samples for the presence of optical brighteners and comparing them to water that has been treated using commercially-available carbon filters. In addition to these experiments, we are also getting ready to sample ponds that receive wastewater-contaminated groundwater for the presence of optical brighteners. The instrument is very easy to use and we appreciate the donation, which has enabled us to move forward with this project." - Laurel Standley, Silent Spring Institute

Dr. Laurel Standley, Senior Scientist, and Megan McAuliffe, Student Intern, collect samples from a pond on Cape Cod to test for the presence of wastewater-derived endocrine disrupting compounds and pharmaceuticals.

6/2007 - Dr. Johan van der Molen - University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
"The St. Lucia lake system is the largest estuarine system in Africa with a water surface of 300 km2 and a shoreline of over 400 km. However, the mouth of this estuary has been closed between July 2002 and March 2007. This has had a major impact on the entire ecosystem. Although the estuary is a World Heritage site, very little research has been undertaken on the lower levels of the food web. Indeed, the algae of the St. Lucia system have received little attention from researchers concerning their biomass and especially their productivity. Phytoplankton productivity in estuaries plays an essential role in element cycling, water quality, and food supply to heterotrophs. The aim of this study is to provide quantitative data of biomass and productivity for phytoplankton and microphytobenthos and to analyse the correlation with biotic and abiotic parameters."

From left to right: Johan van der Molen (Postdoc), Prof Renzo Perissinotto, Deena Pillay (Postdoc)