October 28, 2021

One small Island with Big Sustainability Goals

By Marie Meranda

Dominica, known as the nature island, is a small (290m²) island located in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. I work in Dominica as an anthropologist studying underwater and environmental archaeology, concentrating on the period of European contact, and looking at anthropogenic impacts into the modern era. In recent years Dominica has begun a major push to become the world’s first “climate resilient” nation. It is being used as a model to show how countries around the world can adapt to climate changes, limit the use of fossil fuels, and create sustainable end ecological friendly tourism. This blog will discuss some of the implementations and rationale behind this push for climate resilience.

 

Natural setting

 

The island has rightfully earned this nickname with jagged cliffs, steep mountains, 365 rivers and countless waterfalls, volcanoes, hot springs, and lush rainforests. The island is not well-known as a tourist destination despite boasting some of the best scuba diving in the world and countless nature hikes. This is largely due to its lack of large beaches, which draw millions of tourists to the Caribbean annually. However, there has recently been a push to increase eco-tourism, focusing on the island’s unique natural beauty, promoting ecofriendly resorts and adventure tourism.  

 

Field project 2021

Dominica is the subject of my dissertation research and in July 2021, a small team went down to complete terrestrial survey work, using a drone and GPS units to map in the coastline, erosion and record some previously unidentified sites. This was an unusual field season due to the country going into a COVID-19 lockdown during our time on the island. This changed the scope of the work we were able to conduct, and I began to think about Dominica’s response to the pandemic and how they are responding to climate change. Since the onset of the pandemic, the island closed its boarders to outsiders, not opening them again until June 2021. This response kept cases remarkably low and due to the island’s inhabitant’s lack of reliance on tourism, they were not impacted as badly as other tourism dependent islands in the Caribbean. Dominica is striving for self-sufficiency and climate resilience in the face of climate change. They are seeing these impacts with regards to increased storm activity, erosion, and rising sea-levels. Our archaeological project is intertwined with these environmental impacts, in fact, the site we work on was only discovered in 2017 in the aftermath of hurricane Maria and is part of an effort to document submerged and coastal sites that are quickly disappearing.

 

Natural Resources

The mountainous terrain is both daunting and sustaining for is 71,000 inhabitants. People live in “coastal enclaves” around the perimeter of the island (Trouillot 1988) with the interior largely untouched. The rich tropical atmosphere is conducive to growing fruits and vegetables. Local stores do not sell many fruits or vegetables, with street vendors and weekend markets being the main source of fresh produce.

Provisions such as breadfruits, yams, cassava, plantains, and dasheen are a culinary staple on the island. Dominicans are very connected to the land and almost every house has a garden with trees growing limes, avocados, and mangoes. Fish is another natural resource of abundance around the island and is a common protein source. Stews are a common dish made with locally grown vegetables and either fish or chicken. Many of the local fishing vessels are still made from local woods on the island and built in a tradition dating back hundreds of years. Recently there has been a renewed interest in prehistoric canoe building and ethnographic studies have taken place to reconstruct dugout canoes from the Gommier trees (see https://www.avirtualdominica.com/project/gligli/ for mor information).

The economy is largely agricultural with the largest export being bananas with well over 30 varieties. Banana farming began on the island during the 19^th century after the end of the plantation era and replaced Dominica’s failed sugar industry. Attempts have been made to diversify the agricultural market with citrus, coffee, cocoa, rice and distillation of essential oils.

Dominica has an abundance of freshwater from its many rivers and high annual rainfall (~300 inches). Rivers supply the main source for drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower. Additionally, the island’s significant forest cover helps assure an abundance of freshwater. The water is supplied through a catchment system using small weirs, where the water is chlorinated, however these is no control for turbidity and after heavy rainfall sediment and muds get churned up and the water supply is shut off until the sediments settle. Improvements are being made to use rapid sand filtration systems to avoid water shut off. However, many residences have rain barrels for use when water shut offs occur.

 

Ecotourism

Ecotourism has been identified as one of the main areas where Dominica can diversify its economic growth. The island is striving to conduct responsible tourism with no international hotel chains. All accommodations are eco-friendly and have sustainability in mind. Our field accommodations, SeaCliff Cottages, use solar power to heat water, and run the fans and lights while propane is only used for the stoves. All organic materials are composted which is then used in various fruit and flower gardens. The bottles of the local beer, Kabui, are returned at stores across the island for reuse, reducing glass waste.

 

Push for renewable energy

Despite Dominica’s green thumb, the island still largely relies on imported fossil fuels. The 2008 financial crisis was a wakeup call for Dominica as fossil fuel dependence increased vulnerability to price and supply fluctuations. This realization prompted a focus on sustainable energy initiatives. Today, Dominica is at the forefront in the use of renewable sources of energy among the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), having achieved 28% of its present electricity generation from hydropower and wind with three hydroelectric plants on the Roseau River. They are working towards the development of climate resilient homes and infrastructure for sustainable growth, which is largely being funded by a Citizenship By Investment (CBI) program.

The Clean Energy Environment Dominica drafted an energy plan in 2014 with the goal of using sustainable sources for electricity to be self-sufficient by 2020. Although the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed these efforts, the island is still working towards self-sufficiency. Dominica is a participating member of the Caribbean Community’s Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Program. Investments of $20 million have already been made to develop the island’s geothermal energy potential in addition to the solar and wind energy sources that have already proven to have high potential for satisfying energy needs. A geothermal plant is already under construction which aims to generate 7MW of clean energy which would bring the island to getting over half of its energy supplies from renewable sources. The plant is expected to become active by 2023.

In 2021 Dominica and the UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund (UAE-CREF) announced a $50 million dollar deal for a hurricane-resistant clean energy project. This will involve the development of a megawatt battery storage system to help the island with recovery post-hurricane events. Additionally, the island has converted all streetlights over to either wind or solar power, cutting down on unnecessary energy spent in a place that has an abundance of both wind and solar energy. It is small steps like this that make a big difference in long-term climate resilience.

 

For more information:

https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy15osti/62704.pdf

https://www.cepal.org/en/news/dominica-caricom-forerunner-renewable-energy-use-latest-eclac-report-reveals

https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/economy-development/us-34-million-solar-street-lights-project-for-dominica/

https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2020/09/f79/ETI-Energy-Snapshot-Dominica_FY20.pdf

https://www.prnewswire.com/ae/news-releases/dominica-and-uae-caribbean-renewable-energy-fund-to-sign-50m-clean-energy-plant-contract-813538603.html

 

About the Author. Marie Meranda is pursuing a PhD in Applied Archaeology and a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Sciences at the University of South Florida. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and another in Humanities: Liberal Arts at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Afterwards she worked as an English teacher in Spain as part of the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program before beginning an M.A. in Maritime Archaeology at the University of Southampton, United Kingdom. Upon completion she worked in the fields of maritime and terrestrial archaeology across the southeast United States, Guatemala, Italy, Bulgaria, and Dominica. Her dissertation research focuses on European colonization of Dominica in the Caribbean and its socioecological impacts to the landscape.

October 15, 2021

Coral Parenting: Learning New Coral Restoration Techniques

By Lindsay Dade

Coral reefs in the Caribbean are essential resources for food, storm protection, tourism, and recreation. Hard corals, which are the building blocks of coral reefs, are struggling to recover from disturbances like bleaching and coral disease. Some coral restoration practitioners, including organizations like The Nature Conservancy, are seeking to upscale restoration efforts by collecting coral spawn from reefs and rearing them to juveniles in land-based nurseries before outplanting them back onto the reef. This cost-effective technique can greatly enhance their survival as well as promote genetic diversity (Chamberland et al., 2017). The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands has a coral propagation operation that they do several times a year during major spawning events. Last month, I traveled to St. Croix to take part in the latest spawning event.

I am a second year Master’s in Marine and Environmental Science student at the University of the Virgin Islands. Located in St. Thomas, I live just a 20-minute plane ride from St. Croix. I spent three weeks with TNC this summer helping with coral spawning collection, larval rearing, and running experiments for my thesis. The first few days were spent gathering supplies and setting up cleaning stations. Larval husbandry requires serious sterilization; all equipment is typically soaked in diluted bleach, then thiosulfate solution to “de-bleach,” and finally rinsed in fresh water. The species targeted for the September spawning collection were Psuedodiploria strigosa (symmetrical brain coral), Orbicella annularis (boulder star coral), and Orbicella faveolata (mountaneous star coral). All these corals are hermaphroditic spawners, meaning they release gamete bundles that contain both sperm and eggs into the water column for external fertilization. They only spawn a few nights a year, in August and September about 5 days after the full moon. Spawning typically only lasts 30 minutes to an hour. This means restoration practitioners have a small window of time to collect coral spawn. If they miss it, it may be an entire year until the next spawning event. During my stay in St. Croix, I learned that spawning work takes real dedication and attention to detail.

 

The spawning collection site was located at Deep End Beach, a shallow nearshore reef with large, beautiful O. faveolata and O. annularis colonies. The first night we saw no spawning, but the following night, 6 days after the full moon, we saw gamete bundles floating through the water as soon as we descended. It was a mad dash to get the nets placed over the most promising looking colonies. The nets are shaped like a teepee, with weights on the bottom to anchor it around the coral and a float at the top to keep it vertical. As the gametes float upwards, they condense into a small vial that can be unscrewed from the net, capped, and taken back to the beach for mixing.

After about 30 minutes of collection, we returned to the beach to mix the gametes and start the fertilization process. Mixing gametes from many different colonies into one concentrated solution helps increase genetic diversity, their chance of fertilization, and keeps them away from predators. We then transported the gamete solution back to the lab to begin the rinsing and culture stage. The unfertilized egg and sperm need to be removed from the solution to keep the fertilized embryos clean and healthy. The clean embryos are then transferred into large containers of sterilized seawater, where they will develop into swimming larvae within the next 12 hours (Randall et al., 2016).

 

This restoration technique, though labor intensive for a short period of time, can give you a big bang for your buck. Just a few vials of coral gametes can potentially create thousands of juvenile corals that can be placed back onto degraded reefs. Scientists still have much research to do as far as maximizing their settlement and post-settlement survival, but the future of coral restoration using this technique is very promising.

About the Author. Lindsay Dade is a Marine and Environmental Science Graduate student (MMES) at the University of the Virgin Islands. She grew up in Southern Maryland and completed her undergraduate studies at Virginia Wesleyan College in 2016 with a BS in Biology, minoring in Marine Science. Lindsay moved to the Caribbean to work as a Scuba Instructor in 2018, which developed her interest in coral ecology. Her Masters thesis will focus on water quality in relation to larval recruitment of scleractinian corals.

STRONG COASTS is supported by a National Science Foundation Collaborative Research Traineeship (NRT) award (#1735320) led by the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) to develop a community-engaged training and research program in systems thinking to better manage complex and interconnected food, energy, and water systems in coastal locations. The views expressed here do not reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

October 12, 2021

REPRINT: A USF-LED TEAM AWARDED NSF CONVERGENCE ACCELERATOR GRANT TO LINK THE GREEN ECONOMY TO THE BLUE ECONOMY AT THE COAST

Retrieved 10/12/2021 from: https://www.usf.edu/engineering/news-room/nsf-accelerator-grant.aspx

  

 

August 26, 2021

REPRINT: Modeling for Action in Environmental Health

NRT Strong Coasts fellow, Martha Mcalister, recently attended the International System Dynamics Conference (ISDC) and shared her perspective on key presentations via the conference website blog. This post was originally published on the System Dynamics Society’s wiSDom blog on August 17, 2021 and is shared here with permission from the Highlights Committee. You may view the original post here: https://systemdynamics.org/isdc-2021-highlights-modeling-for-action-in-environmental-health/

---

 

The International System Dynamics Conference (ISDC) convenes practitioners who demonstrate what’s new and developing in their fields with System Dynamics. This section of the WiSDom Blog, “Conference Highlights,” asks system dynamicists to spotlight key presentations and innovations presented at the conference. 

Note: Some links within the text take you to the conference website. You must login to the site to see these linked materials. Access to the website will be restricted in September, so make sure you check out the resources before it’s too late.

– Conference Highlights Editorial Team: Saras Chung, Will Glass-Husain, Jack Homer, Sara Metcalf, and Remco Peters with coordination by Christine Tang

This highlight by Martha McAlister shares a first-time conference attendee’s perspective on modeling for action in environmental health. 

_________________________

Modeling for Action in Environmental Health

When environmental risks remain unmitigated, they end up hurting our ability to lead healthy and productive lives. These risks are often concentrated where populations are the most marginalized, thereby creating or contributing to unjust health disparities. Environmental health and justice problems can be complex, as they intersect multiple domains (social, economic, political, legal, institutional, etc.) and may involve years or decades of lag time, starting from the accumulation of multiple exposures and ending in life-threatening chronic illnesses. 

System Dynamics offers opportunities for modelers to engage with broad audiences to address environmental health and justice challenges. Modelers can elicit public or expert participation before, during, and after the modeling process to promote confidence in the results and to encourage holistic learning that goes beyond narrowly epidemiological approaches. 

As a first-time attendee of the International System Dynamics Conference, I wanted to learn how System Dynamics is being used in the environmental health context and about the challenges of applying System Dynamics to such complex problems.

The first hint came during the Student-Organized Colloquium, where keynote speaker Dr. Josephine Musango stated that “engagement is crucial.”  As the conference progressed, I heard several presenters talk about their use of participatory modeling to study global environmental and health issues. 

Laurent Smets spoke about using group model building with virology experts to connect early vaccine research and development to the user requirements at the “last mile” in low- and middle-income countries. 

Kelsey Werner described workshops with local community groups in India (organized by the Social Systems Design Lab at Washington University) to model factors affecting their use of less harmful liquefied petroleum gas (e.g., for cooking) in place of solid fuels like firewood or charcoal.

Others reported on using System Dynamics simulation interfaces that engage stakeholders. As Juliette Rooney-Varga put it, this requires translating well-informed scientific models into meaningful, recognizable intervention levers and outputs. 

Allyson Beall King, presenting on her work with Tyler Opp, echoed this concept of scientific translation in describing their model of toxic sediments in Lake Coeur d’Alene.  They wanted to make sure this model would not only satisfy scientists but also be fully accessible and transparent for the public.

I also learned from Daniel Kliem’s talk about how to involve experts in participatory modeling. He said that if a simulation was the ultimate goal, then one should “fail fast” by developing the quantitative model sooner rather than later.  He also advised modelers to remember that we are the translators and integrators of others’ knowledge, and as such we should always give those experts the credit they are due. 

This last point reminded me of something that the other Student-Organized Colloquium keynote speaker, Dr. Irene Headen, said about one of the strengths of System Dynamics: the process allows modelers to collect and integrate multiple perspectives on a single topic. 

The conference is a heady experience for a first-time attendee like myself. Thinking about the presentations I attended, I realize that none precisely addressed environmental health and justice per se.  But that doesn’t really matter, because the presenters made it easy to see how their experiences and insights have broad application, and I look forward to applying these ideas in my own work.     

_________________________

Martha McAlister – mcalisterm@usf.edu

Martha is a PhD student of Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. She studies the efficacy and sustainability of environmental health interventions. Martha’s participation in the International System Dynamics Conference was supported by USF NRT Strong Coasts (National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1243510). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation, USF, or NRT Strong Coasts.

 

---

 

Martha McAlister is pursuing a PhD in Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. Originally from Northeast Oregon, Martha graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2015 from Oregon State University where she studied Civil Engineering. Martha joined the Peace Corps in 2016, serving as a Community Health Facilitator and WASH Specialist in Vanuatu, a South Pacific island nation. After returning from Vanuatu, she worked at an engineering consulting firm in Northwest Washington, where she designed community drinking water and stormwater drainage systems. She returned to school to learn more about the role of civil and environmental engineers in promoting healthy communities around the world, and more specifically, their role in advocating for and supporting those populations which are most vulnerable to environmental health risks. Martha’s current research interests lie in the application of system dynamics to complex environmental health problems.

STRONG COASTS is supported by a National Science Foundation Collaborative Research Traineeship (NRT) award (#1735320) led by the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) to develop a community-engaged training and research program in systems thinking to better manage complex and interconnected food, energy, and water systems in coastal locations. The views expressed here do not reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

July 1, 2021

Talkin’ Science at Stewart

By Addie Buerck (USF fellow), Allison Holevoet (UVI fellow), Heather Hopkins (project coordinator), and Megan Kramer (USF fellow)

In April 2021, Strong Coasts was invited to participate in Stewart Middle Magnet School’s (https://www.hillsboroughschools.org/stewart) virtual Earth Day celebration. Three Strong Coasts fellows, Addie Buerck (USF), Allison Holevoet (UVI), and Megan Kramer (USF), and project coordinator, Heather Hopkins, organized a presentation highlighting the fellows’ current interdisciplinary research and the importance of Strong Coasts’ systems-thinking, community-engaged approach. Read further for each participant’s reflection on her experience (in the order of presentation) and view a recording of the presentation via our YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/W5JsT9tM3-Q.

Heather Hopkins, NRT Strong Coasts Project Coordinator

I am keenly aware of how cultivating community-engagement and interdisciplinary thinking among young learners, and arranging encounters with professionals from different disciplines, are beneficial to growing a collaborative mindset in future generations. As youth are exposed to the innovative possibilities that stem from such work, they will be motivated to explore complex problems through a wider lens with different perspectives, instead of choosing a narrow view of the world. So, I was thrilled when Stewart Middle Magnet School in Tampa, FL, gave our group the opportunity to present to young learners.

We decided to prepare our own slides with individual talks, allowing each fellow to utilize science communication and presentation skills learned through Strong Coasts activities or other resources. I kicked off the presentation with a brief overview of our program that demonstrated how our fellows examine engineered infrastructure, environment, and sociocultural aspects, as a whole system instead of treating them as if they do not interact with each other.

IMAGE 1: Slide from Heather Hopkins’ presentation.

I made sure to provide a lesson on how this, along with community-engagement, leads to a more comprehensive understanding of global environmental problems and to more innovative solutions that support sustainability along the ridge-to-reef.

The fellows followed and did an awesome job presenting in their own voice! The flow of their presentations kept the middle schoolers engaged and their creativity shined in every slide. Thank you, fellows, for your fun and informative contribution, and thank you Stewart Middle Magnet School for the privilege of sharing with your students.

Allison Holevoet, UVI Marine and Environmental Science Masters student

Located on a ridge–to–reef gradient, mangroves are important coastal ecosystems that provide many ecosystem services including, carbon storage, habitat for juvenile fish, and coastal protection from erosion and storms.

IMAGE 2: Slide from Allison Holevolt’s presentation.

Although considered resilient systems able to bounce back after disturbances, global stressors such as deforestation (Atwood et al., 2017), climate change, and sea-level rise, threaten the viability of mangroves and the provision of ecosystem services. Localized stressors such as coastal development and removal in the Caribbean can be just as harmful and thwart natural regeneration. Although mangrove restoration efforts have occurred in the U.S. Virgin Islands, these efforts have been few and often restoration methods, techniques, and outcomes are more locally known and missing in peer-reviewed literature. Therefore, my thesis will test grow-out techniques with Rhizophora mangle to maximize propagule growth in a nursery setting in the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Thomas.

With global climate change and climate resistance in mind, restoring coastal areas are imperative now more than ever. Identifying grow-out practices for the territory can provide guidance for communities and stakeholders in future restoration projects, highlighting efficient and effective restoration techniques while reducing time, money, and effort on unsuccessful practices. Engaging with coastal communities, presenting on such topics, especially with youth, can integrate localized knowledge into systems thinking and inspire the next generation of coastal stewards as we work together towards solving the resilience problems of tomorrow. 

Megan Kramer, USF Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD student

A favorite high school teacher of mine, Mr. Wienski (North Thurston High School), encouraged me to pursue engineering, claiming it was a versatile field which I could apply to whatever topic I find interesting. At the time, I had a very narrow vision of what a future in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics would look like, but because of his advice I took a leap and pursued a degree in a field I had not considered. I found that my choice to study engineering has literally opened a world of opportunities, including moving cross-country from Washington to Florida to explore the state’s beautiful coastal mangrove ecosystems.

IMAGE 3: Slide from Megan Kramer’s presentation.

For this reason, I was so excited to discuss my research on Earth Day with the students at Stewart Middle School and provide exposure on the diverse paths that lie in a future in STEM. I believe it is so valuable to show that science can look like so many different things. In my presentation, I got to share about my current hydrodynamic modeling project and how it is inherently linked to the environment and local community. The objective is to evaluate the effects of a restoration project on water movement for a waterway located in Charlotte Harbor, Florida. This entails numerical simulations in addition to trips to the field to gather data including water levels, salinity, and flow. While the physical components of the system are important for numerical simulations, to better understand the system, biological and social components must also be considered. It was such a pleasure to spend Earth Day discussing some of the science behind decisions that impact people and our precious planet.

Adaline Buerck, USF Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD student

As a young student in school my favorite days were when we had different presenters come in and talk about what they do. It opened my eyes to different careers that I had not thought about, and I was able to see the passion they had for what they did. I think about the impact that those presentations had on me and hope that by presenting I can encourage that same enthusiasm in youth of today. I also hope that through showing how I work at the intersection of engineering, social marketing, and public health opens students’ eyes to the immense possibilities for careers and the overlap between disciplines.

My research is based in the coastal city of Tamatave, Madagascar where centralized piped water is not always affordable or reliable, creating a demand for supplemental decentralized self-supply water systems, a common occurrence in low-income countries. In Tamatave, these supplemental systems frequently take the form of a manually driven well point and locally manufactured pitcher pump that serve a household or a small group of households. These pitcher pumps are traditionally built with lead (Pb) components sourced mainly from old car batteries. Unfortunately, the Pb components contaminate the water and pose a range of health risks. This research presents a cross disciplinary approach that engages local stakeholders to understand chemical interactions, market forces, and local culture to design a safer and more improved product and messaging to support behavioral change to prevent further lead exposure from drinking water and protect the health of the local communities. To develop a sustainable solution to protecting health, my team of engineers, social scientists, and community organizations developed a social marketing campaign targeting pitcher pump technicians who manufacture, install, and repair the pumps.

IMAGE 4: Slide from Adaline Buerck’s presentation.

We couple our social marketing campaign with an intervention to replace leaded pump components with non-leaded components, and with blood lead level testing of children in the community. Taken together, we hope that this more holistic understanding of the community and impact of lead exposure better demonstrates in Tamatave that improved global health associated with chemical pollution is possible by reducing exposure to lead (Pb) contaminated water.

NRT Strong Coasts’ Stewart Middle School Earth Day Presentation RECORDING:

About the Authors:

Heather is the NRT Strong Coasts Project Coordinator and is a dedicated natural resource management specialist with a passion for cultivating balanced interactions among people and nature to ensure a more sustainable future. She has a background in managing environmental education programs and exploring cutting-edge topics in science and technology alongside diverse and multidisciplinary stakeholders. Heather received a B.S. in Biology (Systematics & Ecology) and a B.A in Environmental Studies from the University of Kansas, and a Graduate Certificate in Natural Resource Management through Virginia Tech’s Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability (CLiGS). Her research focused on systems-thinking approaches to conservation and preserving biodiversity, innovative solutions for anthropogenic caused human-wildlife conflicts, and effective environmental communication. Heather’s current interest is exploring the connections between wildlife, biodiversity, and FEWS sustainability.

Allison is a first-year graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Marine and Environmental Science at the University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas. After graduating with undergraduate research in coral reef ecology and a B.S. in Marine Biology, Allison followed her scientific curiosities to Alaska where she spent three years living and working aboard commercial fishing vessels collecting data for in-season fisheries management. Her current research interests include coral reef fisheries, aquaculture, and mangrove restoration with a focus on holistic approaches in sustainability to enhance the standards of stewardship for our coastal areas.

Megan is a first-year graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. She received her BS in Civil Engineering from Gonzaga University, after which she spent nearly two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania. Her service was spent as a secondary school mathematics teacher, though she also supported the school as co-manager for a health/hygiene dormitory improvement project and coordinated interactive HIV/AIDS youth education projects. Megan’s research interests include coastal sustainability, reef restoration, and international development.

Addie is a PhD student in USF’s environmental engineering department. She is currently looking at lead mitigation in pitcher pumps in coastal Madagascar. This research is taking an interdisciplinary approach, looking at the engineering aspects around the pump and also the social aspects. To achieve this she is also working on a Social Marketing Certificate from USF and working closely with scholars in Social Marketing. She received her master’s in civil engineering from Saint Louis University in 2018.  Her master’s research looked at arsenic (III & V) removal through iron-oxide coated ceramic filters. Her undergraduate degree was also from Saint Louis University (2016) in civil engineering with a minor in business administration.

STRONG COASTS is supported by a National Science Foundation Collaborative Research Traineeship (NRT) award (#1735320) led by the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) to develop a community-engaged training and research program in systems thinking to better manage complex and interconnected food, energy, and water systems in coastal locations. The views expressed here do not reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

February 5, 2021

ENVISION Sustainable Communities

 

By Sophia Costa

The world has been sitting back and watching as some of the most unthinkable natural disasters have occurred in the year 2020. In addition to historic global pandemics, the U.S. alone suffered from intensive hurricanes throughout the Gulf of Mexico, mass fires in the western parts of the U.S., devastating earthquakes in Puerto Rico, and large tornadoes in Arkansas and Tennessee. Many wonder, how do we combat this changing climate? Scientists worry that if humanity continues using natural resources at the rate and scale people currently do, natural disasters will only increase in magnitude and frequency. Therefore, it is critical that populations begin to correct the wrongs of the past in order to prevent the exponential impacts of global climate change. To do so there must be global, system-wide thinking to transition into a more sustainable future.

The Strong Coasts program brings together graduate students in environmental engineering, anthropology, and marine science to begin working together in systems-based thinking. This transdisciplinary program provides space for individuals of different specialties to work together with the goal of creating a more sustainable future. That journey includes a class taught by the program director, Dr. Maya Trotz, called “ENVISION Sustainable Communities.”

As a marine scientist living in the U.S. Virgin Islands, I was a bit nervous at first taking my first class in the program in the engineering department. Having never taken an engineering class in my life, I thought I would have to rely on my interdisciplinary skills I learned in undergrad to get through this class. However, after the first week of class I understood that although this course was an engineering class, the complexity of infrastructure reaches much further than one department. “ENVISION Sustainable Communities” is an introduction to the necessity for transdisciplinary work in system-based thought.

The course teaches undergraduate and graduate level students how infrastructure can be constructed to create more sustainable and equitable communities. To reiterate these themes throughout the semester, the course follows the Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision^TM rating system for sustainable Infrastructure which has 5 themes: Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural World, ad Climate and Resilience.

The manual provided by ISI provides performance objectives for development projects that offer guidance when creating sustainable infrastructure and impartial communities. As we progressed through the ISI Envision^TM manual, the topics were further supported through guest lecturers that discussed topics ranging from sustainable transportation to possible ways to make a community more sustainable, such as green roofs.  

In one section of the course we discussed the idea of the circular economy, which is a type of system-thinking in a community setting for holistic resource use. A study by Haas et al. (2020) presented the idea that a circular economy could improve global sustainability and foster a greener future with three key foci that resemble the work of the Strong Coasts program. First, Haas et al. (2020) recommended more research is necessary for material stocks and flows. Using this knowledge, engineers could reduce the amount of extraction and encourage reuse of materials, benefiting the complete ecosystem. The second recommendation was to focus more on ecological cycling to prevent the overuse of many non-renewable sources. This is where the skillset of environmental scientists could greatly benefit the project. Third, the authors stated that placing less value on new designs and focusing on quality instead of quantity could improve sustainability. This could be a task for interdisciplinary teams to engage with each other and our communities to ideate on how circular economies could lead to a more sustainable future.

In addition to the Haas et al, (2020) article, Dr. Weslynne Ashton, an associate professor of business at Illinois Institute of Technology, gave a guest lecture on circular economies.

Dr. Ashton is a sustainable systems scientist that analyzes socio-ecological systems to promote progress for communities towards equitable and sustainable communities. During her talk she provided numerous examples on how circular economies can be seen at the local, national, and global levels. She discussed how various industries or communities could adapt to circular economies, in turn promoting sustainability through the recycling of resources. Dr. Ashton explained that creating a circular system removes much of the discarded waste, and instead reutilizes materials, creating a completely sustainable system. However, she highlighted that in these systems it is crucial to think about what communities this progress is benefiting. Discussions and presentations, like that of Dr. Ashton’s, allow us to explore manners in which we can expand our studies to promoting more sustainability.

This course is a great introduction to the Strong Coasts program because the semester is dedicated to demonstrating how individuals from different focuses must work together to create a functional system. If we are to tackle the great issue of global climate change, we all must work together to understand the system as a whole. In the Strong Coasts program, we are dedicating our studies to a transdisciplinary education to enhance our thesis by broadening our mindsets in hopes of creating a more sustainable future.

References:

Haas, W., Krausmann, F., Wiedenhofer, D., Lauk, C., & Mayer, A. (2020). Spaceship earth’s odyssey to a circular economy-a century long perspective. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 163, 105076.

Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure (2018) Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Framework Version 3. Retrieved from: https://sustainableinfrastructure.org/

About the Author. Sophia Costa is a second-year master student at the University of the Virgin Islands where she is studying marine conservation biology. Originally from Austin, Texas, Sophie received her B.S. in Environmental Science from Rhodes College (@rhodescollege) in Memphis, Tennessee.  After completion of her undergraduate studies, she worked for conservation non-profits in Ecuador, Belize, and the Florida Keys until entering her master’s program. She is currently studying the impacts of invasive seagrass on the health and survival of juvenile yellowtail snapper. She uses otoliths, which are the inner ear bones of a fish, to determine the age and growth rate of each individual using the daily rings similar to rings of a tree. Comparing size and growth of yellowtail snapper between native and invasive seagrass beds, she is hoping to better understand the impacts of the invasion on commercially important species in the Caribbean.

STRONG COASTS is supported by a National Science Foundation Collaborative Research Traineeship (NRT) award (#1735320) led by the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) to develop a community-engaged training and research program in systems thinking to better manage complex and interconnected food, energy, and water systems in coastal locations. The views expressed here do not reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

January 26, 2021

Houses of Culture: Reimagining Heritage Preservation

By W. Alex Webb

We often think of museums as the caretakers of history. Large buildings exhibiting what are now exotic artifacts and displays creating windows into worlds that once were. In the past museums were committed to a singular, official history. Over time however, it has become devastatingly clear that no one story can capture the diversity of human experiences. The narratives of who we are depend on our family ties and the myriad of cultural legacies that sustain us. Modern museums engaging people in bringing their pasts to life are then met with a difficult problem: how do you resurrect histories that include everyone?

The National Institute for Culture and History (NICH) in Belize has taken on this contemporary challenge. In her webinar, “What is Heritage Management in Belize”, Sherilyne Jones, a current Strong Coasts Fellow and PhD student of Anthropology at the University of South Florida, details how NICH has created inclusive museums. She would know too. As the once director of Museums of Belize and Staff Archeologist at NICH, then known as the Belize Institute of Archaeology, she was one of few staff charged with the preservation, development, and promotion of Belize’s Cultural Heritage. No easy task considering the many concurrent histories living within the borders of her home country.  

Despite being the least densely populated and one of the smallest countries in Central America, Belize is home to a latticework of diverse cultures. Creole, Mestizo, Maya, and Garifuna, among others, comprise a mosaic of peoples maintaining distinct ethnic identifies while living in relative harmony. Traditionally the government of Belize has committed to supporting the heritage of these groups by engaging communities in large scale restoration and conservation projects. Often through the Institute of Archaeology which offers training for locals to become cultural guides for sites adjacent to their homes as a source of income and financial independence. Currently nearly 2/3 of Belize is under protected management with extensive effort having gone into restoring Maya Temples and historical buildings. Preserving and developing Belize’s extensive patchwork of heritages and their many intersections – artifacts and traditions, both contemporary and historical – in an inclusive way required a more innovative approach, however. Rapidly expanding tourism development has brought a constant flow of new people to Belize for work and leisure. In 2018, Belize was the fastest growing tourism destination in the Caribbean. NICH needed a new way to localize and develop cultural preservation.

Houses of Culture

Enter the Houses of Culture, a movement to democratize museums by providing access and support directly to localized communities. Houses of Culture are small scale museums with full time staff providing outreach and education. The aim is to sustain living cultures by embracing contemporary interpretations of traditional ways of doing things. The development of Houses of Culture was based on the Cuban model of ‘Casa de Cultura’ and inspired by a problem identified through the Museum of Belize.

Since 2002, the museum for Belizean culture has been in its most populous city, Belize City. Creating the museum included restoring and renovating “Her Majesty’s Prison”, which had been the city prison from 1857 to 1993. Now, three thousand years of Mayan history and artifacts, displays of colonial life, and presentations of Belize’s many ethnic groups are exhibited in the Museum of Belize. However, despite the museum’s inclusive and representative layout, they were only receiving 3,000 to 5,000 visitors a year in a country of nearly 400,000 people. A widely spread survey of Belizean beliefs about the museum found that most citizens didn’t visit because they thought it was mainly a tourist destination and weren’t sure it was relevant to them. Plus, for residents in the south, the long and winding road to the Belize city in the north could take upwards of 7 hours.

NICH responded with a nuanced approach to cultural preservation by embracing localities. Developing the Houses of Culture was directly tied with the government’s need to decentralize the accessibility of culture and artistic endeavors away from Belize City and make it available to key district towns. The success and challenges each HOC face are a result of the level of autonomy they experience, their ties with the local community, and the financial support they garner for their activities and programs. Since each HOC serves a different community their approaches are dynamic as coordinators work with residents to find projects that are meaningful to them. For instance, the House of Culture in Stann Creek works with Garifuna communities to keep traditions alive through summer camps and festivals. However, activities change from year to year. One summer they might facilitate canoe making courses for children, whereas next summer seine fishing lessons may be more interesting. In relatively short order there was a House of Culture in all seven of Belize’s municipalities. Each one working with communities to celebrate the unique histories and ways of life found there.

Tapestries

On the western edge of Belize is the city of Viejo in the Benque district. Every spring, on the morning of Good Friday, residents wake in the pre-dawn hours to lay beautiful and vibrant sawdust tapestries in the streets. They have been preparing the rugs throughout Santa Semana, or Easter Holy Week, in anticipation of reenactments of the passion play during morning services. For weeks skilled residents have worked with the House of Culture to train youths and others on how to create these renowned temporary tapestries.

Making the tapestries takes planning and a lot of attention to detail. The sawdust is sourced from the mill in Belmopan and then sifted into very, very fine particles. Particles that are then boiled in dye bought from Antigua Guatemala, called añalina dye – the best of its kind I am assured from the staff at Benque’s HOC. The dye dries for over a week as artists design intricate stencils and plan out color combinations. The processions have become a national draw in Belize, a country where many residents hold deep Catholic roots.

Marimba

Another heritage activity resurrected at the Benque HOC is the Marimba. The Marimba is a percussion instrument in which musicians use a mallet to produce sound from wooden bars. The Marimba has a long history in the region having been declared the national instrument of Guatemala when it became independent in 1821. The initial design included dried gourds as resonators and playing in the seated position. In the mid-19^th century, the Marimba evolved to include wooden boxes for resonators and was heightened to be played standing up. By the 20^th century an additional chromatic scale was added which mimicked the keys of a piano. American manufacturers eventually began producing a version of the Marimba in the states that was featured in vaudeville and musical acts through the 1970’s including songs by the Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Steely Dan.

When the Benque HOC was established they were in possession of two antique Marimbas. Despite one being on permanent display for several years enthusiasm for the Marimba had dwindled and seemingly no guests and no one on staff knew how to play. But the music still lived within the hands of a few elders in Viejo. With their help the Benque House of Culture secured grant funding for a program to teach youths. Starting with just 14 students and three instructors the program has blossomed with Benque Marimba players becoming mainstays at local and national events.

Habinahan Wanaragua Jankunu Festival

In the spiritual capital of Garifuna culture, Stann Creek, the HOC has also worked to support long standing traditions. The HOC helps sustain renowned Garifuna drumming and dance through workshops, summer camps, and the annual Habinahan Wanaragua Jankunu Festival (also known as the John Canoe). The Garifuna originate from African and Carib Indians who first gathered in St. Vincent in the southeast Caribbean. Colonial powers forced their movements through South American before settling in Honduras and Belize at the start of the 19^th century. The John Canoe festival celebrates Garingu masculinity while satirizing British colonialist. Every year just after Christmas, teams of male dancers and drummers (and occasional female singers) compete in 10-minute intervals wearing brightly colored headpieces, white shirts, pink whitefaced masks, and leggings adorned with loose seashells. The Stann Creek HOC assists in the making of the costumes and as spaces for training dancers and drummers.

New Economic Opportunities

Ornate sawdust tapestries, melodic Marimbas, and lively Wanaragua dance are only a few traditions invigorated by Houses of Culture. In addition to these notable events, houses are also places for learning everyday culture – language, art, and cooking lessons, as examples – and have worked towards creating economic opportunities for residents. In Corozal for instance, the HOC has hosted numerous intensive workshops where people learn to paint, create cornhusk or coconut jewelry, and cornhusk dolls to sell at short-term pop-up markets. Other houses have followed suit by hosting workshops for making palm baskets, bees wax candles, mini drums, and shakers among many other potential consumer goods. In this regard the Houses of Culture are linking old traditions to new opportunities for communities to meet their needs and desires.

Conclusion

On the Facebook pages of the seven Houses of Culture in Belize, posts are full of free zoom sessions to learn the Garifuna language, listen to local drumming or marimba, calls for activism, fliers of festivals and celebrations, reporting of local politics, and remembrances for people and events gone by. Many of the House’s work has inspired others, with San Ignacio also developing a marimba program and others houses outside of Stann Creek hosting Webinars and events for Garifuna day. The Houses of Culture have moved the museum into the neighborhood, and as a result, old ways are becoming new again. NICH’s innovative approach demonstrates that designing museums for inclusion is not only possible, but that inclusion actually invigorates all our histories.

Above: Strong Coasts Webinar – HERITAGE MANAGEMENT & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, with Sherilynne Jones, Strong Coasts Fellow

About the Author. W. Alex Webb is a cultural anthropologist currently interested in the relationship between critical infrastructure transitions and rapid tourism development in the Caribbean. His research emphasizes human-environment relationships, economic anthropology, systems thinking,  and the study of science and technology.

Alex’s previous research focused on natural resource management in St Thomas, USVI, tourism development in Southern Utah, and socio-technical systems transitions in Belize. He is currently a student in the Applied Anthropology Ph.D. program at the University of South Florida. He received his BS in Psychology from Westminster College and MS in Marine and Environmental Science from the University of the Virgin Islands.

STRONG COASTS is supported by a National Science Foundation Collaborative Research Traineeship (NRT) award (#1735320) led by the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) to develop a community-engaged training and research program in systems thinking to better manage complex and interconnected food, energy, and water systems in coastal locations. The views expressed here do not reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

December 18, 2020

Science and Community

By Estenia Ortiz Carabantes

“Science includes justice, they are not mutually exclusive.” This was one of the many powerful takeaways I received from being a part of the Thriving Earth Exchange Science, Policy, and Engagement cohort (SPEC) trainings last September. This program stands for community science. Community science is when communities and scientists do science together to advance one or more community priorities (not needs). It takes an asset-based approach to community development where it uses the strengths, potential, resources, skills, and personal experiences of the community to take suitable action. This is in contrast to a needs-based approach also known a deficit model in which efforts are focused on the deficiencies and problems of a community. “Why is it that affluent neighborhoods have priorities and low-income areas have problems?”

The way the Thriving Earth Exchange program (https://thrivingearthexchange.org/) works is that community leaders submit their proposals for a project that would benefit the community as a whole and are then paired with a community science fellow. The community science fellow is then in charge of refining the project scope with the community, ensuring it is feasible within the time frame and representative of the community as a whole. After project scope refinement, the community science fellow scouts for potential volunteer scientists that can be a valuable asset to the team. From there, community leaders, fellows, and scientists work together to construct an actionable plan and get things done. And of course, sharing of this process and data collection can be done through various outlets such as social media, policy writing, journalism, op-eds, and educational campaigns.

I am working with the leading non-profit organization in San Ysidro, California called Casa Familiar (www.casafamiliar.org) which has 40+ years of history in advocacy, service provision, community planning and development. Its programs are as diverse as the residents they serve with programs ranging from civic engagement to health and social services to arts & culture to education. About 93% of the community is of Hispanic origin with 89% speaking Spanish at home as their primary language. Empowering residents in San Ysidro to be engaged in the sustainability, civic engagement, and quality of life of their region is a top priority for Casa Familiar.

One project recently done to shed light on air pollution issues in border communities like San Ysidro is the Community-Based Air Monitoring Study. Alongside San Diego State University, the San Diego Air Pollution Control District and the University of Washington, and other private and governmental partners (Fig. 1). Casa Familiar designed, deployed, and analyzed air quality data from low-cost air quality monitors around San Ysidro. The study found significant links between border wait times at the Port of Entry (POE) and air pollutant levels at nearby sites highlighting a strong need for air pollution mitigation strategies in the community. Now, Casa Familiar is advocating for innovative green solutions and carbon sequestration strategies for a proposed park in San Ysidro and is looking for potential scientists to bring on board. If you would like to learn more about the project, check out this link and feel free to contact me: https://thrivingearthexchange.org/project/san-ysidro-ca/

The motivation behind this work is to bring environmental justice to a community that has often been overlooked. Through the integration of meaningful community engagement with science, quality of life, sustainability, and equity can be achieved.

About the author Estenia Ortiz Carabantes is an Environmental Engineering PhD student at the University of South Florida. Her research interests include water quality, water reuse and management for functional value-added products, and sustainable development. She recently received her Master of Science in Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida which analyzed heavy metal uptake by locally cultivated edible seaweed in Belize and potential health impacts. Her research also used a systems thinking approach to assess the food, energy, and water system nexus of seaweed farming and how it influences local livelihoods. Estenia received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida where she conducted research investigating the removal of mercury from water using modified powdered activated carbon. Currently, Estenia is an Alfred P. Sloan Scholar, GAANN and STRONG Coasts Fellow, and has recently joined the AGU Thriving Earth Exchange program’s Science, Policy, and Engagement cohort as a Community Science Fellow.

STRONG COASTS is supported by a National Science Foundation Collaborative Research Traineeship (NRT) award (#1735320) led by the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) to develop a community-engaged training and research program in systems thinking to better manage complex and interconnected food, energy, and water systems in coastal locations. The views expressed here do not reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

December 3, 2020

Strong Coasts Florida Keys Project Fieldwork – Fall 2020 Update

By Michelle Platz

Data collection has officially concluded for the season at our two reef restoration sites in the Florida Keys! Since installing BEAMS monitoring systems on each reef in early July, we have outplanted over 150 coral fragments, have collected over 500,000 datapoints, and survived two tropical storms. We can’t wait to start analyzing the data and learning how the reefs’ community metabolisms changed throughout the restoration process!

Special thanks to all our collaborators who made this study possible, especially the Takeshita Lab (MBARI) for providing the technology and support to complete this study, and to the Mote Marine Laboratory’s Coral Reef Monitoring & Assessment Program for their field support and for rearing and outplanting the corals used.

Check out the video below to see one of our September fieldwork days, monitoring fragments one-month after transplantation, servicing sensors, downloading data, and replacing corals which had been lost to TS Laura.

For more information on this collaborative study, see our July 2020 blog post here: http://www.strongcoasts.org/2020/07/14/strong-coasts-florida-keys-project-summer-fieldwork-update/).

About the author Michelle is pursuing a PhD in Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. She has a BS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a Masters in Environmental Engineering from the University of South Florida. Her dissertation research investigates monitoring in-situ community metabolism, the processes involved in cycling carbon for coral calcification and biomass production, in coral nurseries and on restored reefs as a means to monitor coral restoration. She is working with a suite of monitoring technologies known as the Benthic Ecosystem and Acidification Measurement System (BEAMS) which was previously developed by Dr. Yui Takeshita of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Her research goal is to use these data to improve restoration practitioners’ understanding of the metabolic, environmental, and hydrodynamic processes driving coral growth. She hopes to contribute data which can be used to inform upstream environmental and ecological engineering interventions to help protect the ecosystem services reefs provide.

STRONG COASTS is supported by a National Science Foundation Collaborative Research Traineeship (NRT) award (#1735320) led by the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) to develop a community-engaged training and research program in systems thinking to better manage complex and interconnected food, energy, and water systems in coastal locations. The views expressed here do not reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

November 3, 2020

Exploring the connections between resource insecurity and health and wellness: the way forward

By Yoel Gebrai

The 2020 Strong Coasts webinar series continued with another great webinar on October 13, 2020 by Dr. Cassandra Workman. Dr. Workman is a biocultural medical anthropologist and her presentation was titled “Understanding Complex Resource Insecurity: Interdisciplinary Approaches and Future Directions.”

Dr. Workman explored the connections and interactions between resource insecurity, health, and wellness. This type of research is highly interdisciplinary in nature and benefits from collaborations across different fields. Dr. Workman works internationally, and during this presentation she discussed projects that she worked on in Lesotho and a project that she is currently working on in Tanzania. 

She first discussed the evolving definitions of food and water security. For instance, water security means more than having enough water for today, but also enough for the future as well.  Additionally, the ties between water security and food security to social factors like power, gender, and class were also mentioned.

A recurring message throughout Dr. Workman’s talk was the need to look back to move forward in international development. Culture for example tends to be treated as an obstacle for behavior change to be implemented, when in fact culture provides context and should not be perceived as a barrier. Diseases and health are biocultural and shaped by their cultural contexts. Furthermore, the meaning people assign to technological interventions will define how people interact with it, and what type of risks people associate with it.

The research Dr. Workman conducted in Lesotho focused on the social effects of water and food insecurity as well as HIV risk. She performed this research in the area surrounding the capital of Lesotho. High rates of food insecurity and a decade long drought in Lesotho had preceded her arrival, and upon her arrival there was torrential flooding. The strong food-water linkages that lead to insecurity in water causing insecurity in food were evident. Dr. Workman created a household survey based on water availability, access, and quantity. The survey results showed that water was distressing, but the biggest stress people had was not having enough food. Vulnerable households were found to be less able to respond to shocks and water insecurity, food insecurity, and HIV were found to drive depression and anxiety. The results also highlighted the importance of perceived cleanliness and the stress caused by water insecurity.

Dr. Workman’s current research based in Morogoro, Tanzania explores human health and wellness. For this, Dr. Workman is developing a scale that measures the degree of food, water, and WASH insecurity in Morogoro, Tanzania. The concept of WASH security requires the separation of water use for hygiene and other activities and is more complicated than having an adequate latrine and water for hygiene. Environmental risks are taken into consideration when assessing WASH insecurity.

Some things that need to be considered going forward include the need to learn more from previous international development experiences. The notion that development goes on somewhere else and that those issues are not relevant to the US is incorrect. This needs to be addressed. Finally, addressing these complex issues in resource insecurity requires convergence from many disciplines.

The Q&A session was also fascinating with great questions met with great answers. This webinar can be viewed in the recording below and I am looking forward to the next Strong Coasts webinar!

About the author Yoel is pursuing a PhD in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Engineering for International Development. He has a BS in Petroleum Engineering from Louisiana State University and an MS in Hydrogeology from Clemson University. After graduating with his MS, he worked for an environmental consulting company as a groundwater modeler before coming to USF. At USF, his research interests are in sytems thinking, the food-water-energy nexus, water resource engineering and management, and sustainable development.

STRONG COASTS is supported by a National Science Foundation Collaborative Research Traineeship (NRT) award (#1735320) led by the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) to develop a community-engaged training and research program in systems thinking to better manage complex and interconnected food, energy, and water systems in coastal locations. The views expressed here do not reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.