The Current-Summer 2018

A RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCOR PROJECT

SUMMER 2018

Introducing RI C-AIM The Integrated Bay Observatory Career Moves Model Behavior Telling the Data Story Into the Tech

RHODE ISLAND CONSORTIUM FOR COASTAL ECOLOGY ASSESSMENT, INNOVATION & MODELING RI C-AIM RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCOR

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THE

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Principal Investigator/Project Director

Narragansett Bay is Rhode Island’s most precious natural resource. Since

Geoffrey Bothun University of Rhode Island

2007, Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR has been building research infrastructure

CURR ENT

across the state to better understand the bay’s ecosystems. Now, through Co-Principal Investigators

a $19 million National Science Foundation grant and a matching $3.9

Breea Govenar Rhode Island College

million from the State of Rhode Island, we take the latest step with the

Jeffrey Morgan Brown University

Rhode Island Consortium for Coastal Ecology Assessment, Innovation

Neal Overstrom Rhode Island School of Design

and Modeling—a project fostering new collaborations that bridge

Lewis Rothstein University of Rhode Island

fundamental and applied research across eight Rhode Island institutions.

Science & Technology Liaison

RI C-AIM is a product of the hard work and dedication of faculty, students,

Christine Smith RI Commerce Corporation

and staff across our amazing state over the past several years. As the end of our first year approaches, I am inspired by the way our community

Administrative Team

has embraced team science, inclusivity, research translation, and

Sally J. Beauman Project Administrator

interdisciplinary training—all of which are essential to positioning ‘the

Barbara ‘BJ’ Carangia

Ocean State’ as a center of excellence in marine science and engineering.

Scientific Research Grant Assistant Jim Lemire Undergraduate Coordinator

This edition of The Current details its inception and highlights the great

Shaun Kirby

work underway, from establishing new ways to monitor Narragansett

Communications & Outreach Coordinator

Bay’s health to developing novel technologies for assessing marine ecosystems. I hope you will gain a greater understanding of not only

All editorial content produced by

our research goals, but the journey upon which everyone involved with

Shaun Kirby unless otherwise stated.

RI C-AIM is taking to achieve them.

Design Studio Rainwater www.studiorainwater.com

Best wishes,

Copyright © 2018. All Rights Reserved.

Geoffrey D. Bothun, Principal Investigator & Project Director CONNECT WITH RI C-AIM

Professor of Chemical

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Engineering, University

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of Rhode Island

linkedin.com/RINSFEPSCOR WEB.URI.EDU/RIEPSCOR

RI The Current 224 Pastore Hall

RHO DE ISL AN D CO NSO RT I U M F OR

Coastal Ecology Assessment Innovation & Modeling

51 Upper College Road University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI 02881

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Rhode Island EPSCoR is funded by the National Science Foundation under the current Award #OIA-1655221 (Sept. 2017-Aug. 2022). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

FEATURES 8

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Why RI C-AIM? How professionals from across Rhode Island are coming together to establish a unique marine research community

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The Integrated Bay Observatory An in-depth look at the new sensor network improving our understanding of the Bay’s changing ecosystems

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Career Moves

Young talent is the engine driving research and collaboration for RI C-AIM

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Model Behavior With the help of a comprehensive data collection platform, scientists are generating models to predict the Bay’s future health

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Telling the Data Story Researchers, communicators and graphic designers partner to narrate data outcomes and models through creative media

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Into the Tech From inexpensive paper-based instruments to complex biosensors, engineers and chemists team up to create devices for easy use by all

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Five Years and Beyond C-AIM investigators plan long-term sustainability through entrepreneurship, professional development, and research promotion

RI C-AIM RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCOR

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Why RI C-AIM? For Geoff Bothun, the summer of 2016 was a blur. After taking position as principal investigator for Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR (National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), his team had a month to develop a new Track-1 EPSCoR proposal: RI C-AIM. RI C-AIM—the Rhode Island Consortium

“Through RI C-AIM, we are now bringing together

for Coastal Ecology Assessment, Innovation

investigators, including experienced RI NSF EPSCoR

and Modeling—is an ambitious new project through which researchers across

investigators and new researchers in engineering and physical sciences, to collaborate across disciplines and look at their work in a larger context.”

the state are developing a framework to better understand, measure and model

Participants from eight higher education institutions

Narragansett Bay’s coastal ecosystems,

across the state—University of Rhode Island, Brown

now and into the future.

University, Bryant University, Providence College, Rhode Island College, Rhode Island School of Design, Roger Williams University, and Salve Regina

The initiative builds upon the success of many

University—are engaging in constant dialogue not

previous EPSCoR awards from the National

only about how best to conduct their research, but

Science Foundation which have already improved

its greater application for scientists working on

Rhode Islanders’ knowledge of the bay’s marine

Narragansett Bay, and hopefully beyond.

environments.

“We have asked ourselves, how can we create a “Coastal ecology is a real area of strength for Rhode

project where all the research activities build upon

Island NSF EPSCoR,” explains Bothun, principal

and enhance each other?” recalls the C-AIM principal

investigator and project director for the initiative.

investigator. “How will our activities and findings

“Previous awards have established key core facilities,

inform decision-makers about future changes in

expanded research programs, and provided student

Narragansett Bay and their potential impact on

training and economic development across the state.”

surrounding communities?”

“We have asked ourselves, how can we create a project where all the research activities build upon and enhance each other? How will our activities and findings inform decision-makers about future changes in Narragansett Bay and their potential impact on surrounding communities?”

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THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

Credit: Joseph DeGiorgis

RI C-AIM RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCOR

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| SUMMER Credit: Ashley Hagerstrand THE CURRENT| RISD Nature2018 Lab

Bothun and his co-principal investigators—Breea

“Through C AIM, we are trying to take hold of

Govenar, associate professor of Biology at RIC,

the challenges and resources associated with

Jeffrey Morgan, professor of Engineering at Brown,

Narragansett Bay as a collective responsibility and

Neal Overstrom, director of RISD’s Edna Lawrence

opportunity,” emphasizes Govenar. “This research is

Nature Lab, and Lewis M. Rothstein, professor at URI’s

what makes Rhode Island the ‘Ocean State’.”

Graduate School of Oceanography—envisioned a consortium which, elaborating upon past EPSCoR

“C-AIM is such a broad program that there is no

successes, seeks to create a platform for not only a

one person who knows the gamut of what needs

better understanding of marine environments, but

to be done,” adds Rothstein. “We are depending on

also advancements in technologies through which we

everyone else to help understand what can and

acquire that knowledge.

cannot work.”

“Narragansett Bay can be a test-bed for new

Bothun understands that the easier path would

technologies,” asserts Bothun. “We are developing

have been to support individual research efforts.

a network of observation systems, for example,

But by bringing faculty, students, industry leaders

with new sensors and materials engineered by our

and the public together to develop applicable

researchers that will provide data to scientists, and

research, Bothun hopes RI C-AIM becomes a center-

also to industry and members of the public.”

based community in which all ideas are considered and new collaborations can grow.

The initiative goes beyond a commitment to producing accessible research alone, however,

“We have to constantly engage and listen to all

as its participants are dedicated to developing

participants,” says the principal investigator. “We

relationships among professionals who may not

need to do this in a way where everybody is on board.

normally work together. Biologists, for example, are

It is a risk and requires buy-in across our institutions,

collaborating alongside engineers and graphic

but the reward will be great when we are successful.”

designers, and all are promoting the next generation of scientists through workforce development and science communication initiatives.

Big Questions

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How do complex interactions

How can we more effectively

How does the environment

between natural and man-

detect pollutants and

impact human behavior and

made stressors affect the

stressors, and make resulting

how can our responses be

responses of ecologically

data accessible, to reveal

modified to improve coastal

and commercially important

biological and ecological

and economic sustainability?

organisms?

complexity and improve coastal ecosystem models?

RI C-AIM RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCOR

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Breaking Down RI C-AIM THRUST 1

Assessing Biological & Ecosystem Impacts Through the creation of the Bay Observatory, researchers will collect and disseminate real-time, in situ ecological and environmental data from Narragansett Bay and surrounding watersheds, providing highly detailed assessments of the bay’s ecosystems, as well as the interactions between chemical nutrients and biological organisms, particularly as a result of climate change.

Assessment

RI C-AIM Modeling

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Innovation

THRUST 2

THRUST 3

Predicting Ecosystem Response Through Integration

Enabling Technologies for Improved Detection

With the data resulting from the Bay Observatory alongside

Engineers and chemists are working together to develop

historical information, scientists will create models of the

new platforms to detect chemical and biological

bay’s ecosystems, from water circulation and nutrient

interactions in Narragansett Bay, from low-cost, paper-

distribution to the occurrence of particular species. Models

based sensors to technology which utilizes molecular

will forecast chemical and biological relationships in

organisms to identify chemical circumstances in the bay.

Narragansett Bay as climate conditions change over time,

These sensors will detect more specifically the changing

as well as develop a clearer picture of how human behavior

environments of Narragansett Bay, and also provide

affects, and is affected by, surrounding environments.

opportunity for the public to assist in collecting data.

THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

Inter-Thrusts: Bringing Research to the Larger Community

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INTER-THRUST 1

Visualization & Imaging Academic research is often inaccessible to non-scientific communities because the data is not presented through clear and engaging media. Across thrusts, RI C-AIM is developing novel approaches to visualizing scientific

Collaborators

Assessment Bryant C. Reid RIC B. Govenar, S. Knowlton, E. Roberts Salve Regina H. Axen, A. Radovic, A. Reid RWU S. O’Shea, K. Sharp, D. Taylor URI R. Beinart, M. Bertin, A. Gold, M. Gomez-Chiarri, S. Granger, B. Jenkins, C. Kincaid, J. King, C. Lane, L. Maranda, S. MendenDeuer, C. Mouw, M. Omand, C. Oviatt, S. Pradhanang, R. Robinson, L. Rothstein, T. Rynearson, C. Thornber, D. Ullman, N. Viggo-Hobbs, H. Vincent, Y. Zhang

observations of complex ecosystems. Engineers, designers, artists and oceanographers are collaborating to create media which will foster greater understanding of research from business leaders, policy makers and the general public.

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INTER-THRUST 2

Workforce Development To ensure the long-term success of RI C-AIM, researchers are establishing a diverse, inclusive and productive research community by providing opportunities for scientific training and career development. RI C-AIM research will be incorporated into undergraduate curricula, while mentoring and skill-building programs are being leveraged across

Modeling Brown S. Clemens, B. Fox-Kemper, A. Lynch, B. Sandstede RIC S. Basu, B. Govenar, S. Knowlton, K. Lacasse RISD S. Fultineer, N. Overstrom RWU J. Pearce URI J. Collie, T. Dalton, M. GomezChiarri, A. Humphries, B. Jenkins, C. Kincaid, C. Lane, B. Loose, L. Maranda, K. McMahon, S. MendenDeuer, M. Omand, J. Opaluch, C. Oviatt, L. Rothstein, T. Rynearson, C. Thornber, E. Uchida, H. Uchida, D. Ullman, Y. Zhang Innovation Brown K. Boekelheide, A. Kane, J. Morgan, A. Tripathi PC J. Breen RWU J. Lemire, C. Murphy, S. O’Shea, L. Rossi Salve Regina B. Munge URI C. Anagnostopoulos, A. Bose, G. Bothun, V. Craver, J. Dwyer, M. Faghri, B. Jenkins, M. Kiesewetter, M. Levine, D. Roxbury, H. Vincent

thrusts and institutions.

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INTER-THRUST 3

Engagement & Sustainability Rhode Island policy makers and industry leaders hold an important stake in research produced through RI C-AIM. The program is opening its doors for members of those communities to understand first-hand the outcomes of RI C-AIM’s myriad projects, from participating in our annual research symposium to establishing an Academic-IndustryCommunity Partnership through which scientific data and information can be easily shared.

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INTER-THRUST 4

Data Management

Visualization & Imaging Brown R. Creton, J. Morgan, T. Whitfeld, PC E. Arevalo, J. DeGiorgis, L. Landen RISD N. Overstrom, J. Bissonnette RWU J. Lemire URI M. Gomez-Chiarri, L. Rothstein, E. Uchida Workforce Development Brown B. Fox-Kemper, J. Morgan RIC B. Govenar, C. Giuriceo, S. Hamouda, G. Stilwell, RWU J. Lemire URI S. Beauman, A. Bose, G. Bothun, V. Craver, J. Dwyer, K. Flynn, B. Jenkins, S. Menezes, L. Rothstein, C. Watson, Y. Zheng Engagement & Sustainability RWU J. Lemire URI S. Beauman, G. Bothun, J. Dwyer, K. Flynn, L. Rothstein, C. Watson Data Management Brown R. Creton, K. Huffman, J. Morgan RISD N. Overstrom URI L. Rothstein

The Rhode Island Data Discovery Center will become the go-to source for scientific information collected through the Bay Observatory. Scientists can utilize the website’s storage of historical and current data to inform ongoing research concerning Narragansett Bay’s ecosystems.

RI C-AIM RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCOR

THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

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THRUST 1 | ASSESSMENT

Data from the Bay Observatory will be housed in the Rhode Island Data Discovery Center (RIDDC) an online repository for historical and real-time scientific information. The RIDDC will be a go-to source for Rhode Island scientists to find reliable data about Narragansett Bay ecosystems from which models and research conclusions can be made.

Benthic Lander

Illustrations by José R. Menéndez, 2018

Through the Rhode Island Consortium of

Water Sample

Coastal Ecology Assessment, Innovation and Modeling (RI C-AIM), the integrated Bay

Sensors

Observatory is being developed to measure various chemicals and biological organisms, the presence of which can impact plant and animal species, both in good and bad ways.

Utilizing myriad sensors and water-sampling technology, the Bay Observatory will will send data for scientific use to the Rhode Island Data Discovery

A Benthic Lander is a mobile instrument which evaluates

Center, a website which will house information

chemicals passing between the bay’s sediment and the

incoming from the sensors on the bay, as well as

water above. It can detect chemicals such as oxygen and

a vast array of historical data from previous

sulfides, as well as collect upto 24 water samples at timed

collection programs.

intervals, providing key data on the flow of chemicals within Narragansett Bay’s ecosystems.

The new buoys will also have a unique feature: each sensor will be programmed to communicate data

Vincent, RI C-AIM researcher and associate professor

about collected chemicals among each unit, creating

of Ocean Engineering at the University of Rhode

a real-time response network for scientists. If one

Island. “It will provide an opportunity to gather

buoy is measuring too much nitrate in the water

new kinds of scientific information.”

column, for example, a nearby biological sensor will turn on to measure if a spike in potentially harmful

That vital information, collected and analyzed through

phytoplankton populations is also occurring.

the Bay Observatory, will be used to help predict the effects of sea-level rise and other climate issues, as

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“This is going to be a totally new type of data that

well as study human impact on coastal ecosystems.

hasn’t been gathered before,” says Dr. Harold ‘Bud’

Its success will be a standout piece for RI C-AIM.

THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

The Integrated Bay Observatory RV Hope F. Hudner

LOBO Sensor Buoy

LOBO (Land Ocean Biogeochemical Observatory) sensor buoys collect data on nutrients occurring in the bay, such as nitrogen and phosphates, which serve as food sources

Communication Antenna

for plankton and other organisms. Water samples are also

Strobe

gathered and taken to labs at institutions across Rhode

Solar Panel

Island to examine the interactions between nutrients and Flotation collar

marine species.

The Pump Station at Castle Hill Lighthouse will gather data on water circulation in and out of Narragansett Bay’s East

Batteries

Passage, as well as other characteristics of the bay’s makeup, such as salinity and temperature. Because the pump station is a permanent set-up, scientists will be able to gather longer-term data for incorporation into scientific models.

CNEM Sensor Bio-Sensor

Through the pump station, researchers will also take water

Instrument Cage

samples at various depths to measure the chemical and

Mooring System

biological materials moving across this bay-ocean boundary.

Samples will be examined on-site, reducing disturbance from transport to off-site labs and ensuring more accurate data results.

Castle Hill Pump Station Bay water pumped to sensor in the lighthouse. 8.6 psi is required to raise water 20 feet.

30 meters

Three Hose Intakes

50 meters 30 ft (13psi)

60 ft (25psi)

Moored Acoustic Current Meters RI C-AIM RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCOR

100 ft (43psi)

80lb Weights Bundled Hoses 9

CAREER MOVES In her invertebrate zoology class at Rhode Island College, Dr. Breea Govenar was presented with a difficult situation; students could easily collect specimens from the coast, but had no idea about the research infrastructure which brought their collections into the lab and helped professionals make scientific conclusions.

“Many of the students were lifetime Rhode

The experience is illustrative of an overarching

Islanders, but never knew about URI’s

challenge for higher education institutions in

Graduate School of Oceanography,” recalls Govenar, co-principal investigator for the Rhode Island Consortium for Coastal Ecology

Rhode Island: increasing exposure and interest among students in marine-based sciences so that the state’s brightest minds pursue careers in research and related fields.

Assessment, Innovation and Modeling (RI C-AIM). “I changed our field trip to not just collect invertebrates, but to also go where

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“Students are great agents for institutional and cultural change,” explains Govenar. “They are much more nimble with new collaborations and

researchers do this kind of work and where

don’t have competing interests. Their enthusiasm

data was collected.”

can bring researchers together.”

THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

“Students are great agents for institutional and cultural change. Their enthusiasm can bring researchers together.”

Intensive Scientific Training Over the past 12 years, RI EPSCoR’s stand-out program has been SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research

Developing professional relationships among all

Fellowship), a 10-week immersion for students from

participants, from undergraduates to the tenured

institutions across Rhode Island and beyond into

professor, inevitably leads to improved research

marine-based fields of science. In collaboration with

and career opportunities, but in practice can be

RI INBRE (IDEA Network of Biomedical Research

challenging. RI C-AIM researchers are taking the

Excellence), undergraduates are paired with faculty

task head-on.

and graduate student mentors who guide them through the research process, from basic activities

“RI C-AIM is a publicly funded program, so we

like being safe in a lab to synthesizing data with

have a responsibility to not just answer these

already established science.

scientific questions, but also think about the human component in workforce development. It is important

For coordinator Jim Lemire, the SURF program is

that our research is not just data or outputs, but the

an early opportunity for undergraduates to learn

cultivation of individuals who take on additional

whether scientific study is the right career path

challenges and opportunities in science.”

from researchers who understand the challenges they will face. “Everyone has their own story,” he says.“ It’s good for students to see there is no one

Opposite page: SURF student Carlos Barreto gets ready to haul in a sensor buoy on Narragansett Bay. Below: Charles “Chuck” Watson (right) speaks with members of RI C-AIM’s Diversity Action Committee at this year’s annual RI C-AIM Research Symposium.

RI C-AIM RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCOR

clear path to take.”

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Support for Graduate Students and New Faculty

C-AIM Science in Curricula Over 60 faculty researchers are already introducing

Principal investigator Dr. Geoffrey Bothun knows that

their work for RI C-AIM to students at their home

RI C-AIM’s success rests largely on bringing in talented

institutions. C-AIM investigators will furthermore

graduate students and incoming faculty to continue

incorporate thrust-specific research into curricula at

the program’s research on Narragansett Bay.

higher education institutions throughout Rhode Island.

“I think we are going to make some really big research

Govenar and colleagues are already preparing a

advances even within these five years, so If we are

module on microbial diversity in Narragansett Bay for

able to bring together different groups and do high

inclusion in 200-level Genetics courses at the University

impact research, that would be a big success,” he

of Rhode Island. Such cross-disciplinary learning

says. “But success is made with faculty, with graduate

demonstrates to students cogent applications of

students and post-docs.”

seemingly disparate science, and also helps sustain interest from high school into graduate years.

RI C-AIM will institute a ‘career development’ program, through which graduate students will be connected

“I think that because marine sciences are often

with established faculty to improve mentoring and

considered a subset of biology, chemistry or physics,

science communications skills. On top of hosting its

students don’t encounter it unless they are looking

own professional development workshops, students

for it. By embedding C-AIM-related concepts into

will be connected to pertinent opportunities outside

the curriculum, we are getting students to see the

of the program.

relevance for using genetics, for example, outside of lab-coat science.”

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THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

Opportunity for Underrepresented Groups

Designing RI C-AIM

An undergraduate’s first laboratory or water sampling experience can serve as a spark for their career, learning in detail the chemical and biological processes behind the natural world.

RI

For underrepresented groups and minorities, however, such opportunities may not often present themselves clearly, if at all. Through the establishment of a ‘diversity action committee,’ RI C-AIM investigators are making such experiences more accessible.

R HO DE I S L A N D C O N S O

Coastal Ec Assessmen Innovation Modeling

“For underrepresented groups, the most difficult challenge is getting researchers to believe you are capable of learning and engaging, completing the research task at-hand,” explains Chuck Watson, chair

Ellen Christensen first scribbled sketches in

of the RI C-AIM Diversity Action Committee (DAC).

her notebook. A new initiative through the

“It is difficult to find funding for those opportunities that may be available to them, too.”

The DAC is comprised of diversity leaders at RI C-AIM

Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR program needed a new logo. What would this new logo look like?

What message should it convey?

institutions who have already developed strong professional relationships with national organizations

“It was us as a four-person group talking in the

like the National Association of Multicultural

original stages,” says Christensen, who recently

Engineers Program (NAMEPA) and the National

graduated with an MFA in graphic design from the

Science Foundation’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority

Rhode Island School of Design. “We met every week,

for Minority Participation (LSAMP).

going through all these different iterations. There were two main themes; the ideas of connection

“Being able to engage future DAC professionals that

and [Narragansett] Bay.”

are already working in recruitment and retention of underrepresented students within their own

Christensen worked alongside Neal Overstrom,

institutions is important” says Watson. “They know

RI C-AIM co-principal investigator and director of

who to recruit and can be mentors as students are

RISD’s Edna Lawrence Nature Lab. RISD RI C-AIM

going through our program. As we combine our

Coordinator Lucia Monge and Dora Mugerwa,

recruitment and retention efforts, we will become a

Operations & Engagement Coordinator at The

stronger committee.”

Nature Lab, were also on the team.

By utilizing DAC members’ expertise, RI C-AIM will

“We didn’t want the logo to feel really old-fashioned,

recruit diverse students who can focus solely on

but something fresh,” she says. “We wanted it to work

research and scientific training.

for a variety of different people and institutions.”

After a nearly two month process, Christensen and The Nature Lab team had a final cut.

Left: Graduate students in Thrust 2 researcher Dr. Chris Kincaid’s ocean dynamics class conduct an experiment to better understand how chemicals transport themselves through the bay’s water column. Kincaid, professor of Oceanography at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography, belongs to a group currently implementing a ‘pump station’ at Castle Hill Lighthouse in Newport which will measure nutrients coming in and out of Narragansett Bay from the ocean.

RI C-AIM RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCOR

“Although this was just one collaborative project,” emphasizes Overstrom, “it underscores the ways in which the perspectives of artists and designers bring complementary modes of inquiry to scientific research through studio-based studies.”

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THRUST 2 | MODELING

MODEL BEHAVIOR Reducing nitrogen levels in Narragansett Bay has long been a priority for Rhode Island decision makers, as high instances of stormwater runoff and sewage waste posed severe environmental problems in the 1970s and 80s.

But what about the nutrients coming from

picture of the bay’s entire ecosystem and how inputs

Rhode Island Sound? How do the tides or

such as rivers and water arriving from the Gulf Stream

wind patterns influence nutrients circulating

affect circulation and nutrient environments.

through the bay? What are the potential

“There’s a wealth of historical data that captures how

impacts on coastal communities?

the bay has responded to changes in human activity and a changing climate through time,” explains

Such questions are often answered through scientific

Dr. Baylor Fox-Kemper, RI C-AIM lead researcher and

models, but researchers in Rhode Island do not yet

associate professor in Brown’s Department of Earth,

have the firmest grasp on the myriad interactions

Environmental and Planetary Sciences. “The idea

between water, chemicals and organisms existing

is use that data to build a model of the bay that

in the bay. Forecasting future changes, such as how

accurately recreates its past, which we can then use

nitrogen will circulate through the bay 20 years from

to make predictions.”

now, is even more difficult.

“We want to be able to predict the evolution of the

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RI C-AIM is putting research in motion, however, which

bay under different stressors, man-made or naturally

will develop reliable models that can predict changes

occurring,” adds Dr. Lewis Rothstein, RI C-AIM co-

in the bay ecosystem, from local events such as algae

principal investigator and professor of Oceanography

blooms to longer term fluctuations in the bay’s salinity

at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of

and temperature.

Oceanography (URI GSO).

A team of faculty researchers from the University of

Such reliability would not be achievable without the

Rhode Island, Brown, RISD and Rhode Island College

data gathering infrastructure of the Bay Observatory,

are working together to create models that capture

notes Rothstein, and projects such as the ‘pump

the differing physical, biological and chemical

station’ at Castle Hill Lighthouse will ground RI C-AIM’s

dynamics from the bottom of Narragansett Bay

models with scientific data which is collected over

to its surface waters, developing a more complete

longer periods of time.

THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

“If you’re trying to verify a model you want to run

RI C-AIM is also bringing together social and natural

for a whole season, for example, measurements

scientists to develop models that incorporate human

taken over a couple of days are not as useful as

activity into forecasts of future ecological changes, as

those over a month or two where you can really

well as more accurately identify how organisms are

see how the variables fluctuate,” says Dr. David

reacting to man-made changes in the bay ecosystem.

Ullman, RI C-AIM researcher and associate research scientist at URI GSO.

The ultimate goal, says Rothstein, is for industries and communities across the state that rely on

Rothstein emphasizes that RI C-AIM’s modeling efforts

Narragansett Bay to have a solid scientific foundation

will utilize the skills of researchers from many different

upon which to make important decisions.

disciplines, from biologists, chemists and physicists to computer scientists and researchers in the field of

“We can’t remove how we use the bay from its

genomics, or the study of a species’ DNA.

ecology,” he stresses. “We want to create models from which we can ask questions and help people manage

“Every organism’s genome is essentially the

Narragansett Bay as optimally as possible.”

encyclopedia of the structure and function of that organism, containing information that is important to the existence of that organism,” he says. “If we can target the genomes of species that are special to the bay and understand how they function, we can put that information into models and begin testing our hypotheses.”

Dr. David Ullman, Thrust 2 researcher and associate research scientist at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography, is developing models which characterize the many interactions in Narragansett Bay’s ecology, from chemicals such as nitrates and phosphates to classes and sizes of phytoplankton.

depth (m) 0 10 20 30 40

RI C-AIM RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCOR

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TELLING THE DATA STORY Speaking before a class of fourteen peers, Kristen Demoranville explains her outline for a blog about how animals survive in changing environments. From identifying target audiences to developing a feedback survey, the third year PhD candidate in Natural Resources Science at the University of Rhode Island engages listeners, answering questions that probe her methods. The class coinstructor, Dr. Sunshine Menezes, intervenes. “10 seconds to spare,� she says.

Credit: Joseph DeGiorgis

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THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

The scene could have easily been pulled from a staff meeting at a corporate office or before a dissertation

Understanding Science Through Visual Media

panel. The class, Public Engagement with Science, is one of many examples of how RI C-AIM collaborators

RI C-AIM’s mission is to not just produce research

are prioritizing science communication, a key aspect

for its own sake, but develop tools and scientific

of the program’s ultimate success.

results that can be utilized by local communities and related industries as they make important decisions

“Effective public engagement is complex,” Menezes,

about future investments. Creative approaches to

executive director of URI’s Metcalf Institute for

communication ensure such research does not

Marine & Environmental Reporting and member of

remain unused.

the RI C-AIM leadership team, explains. “We want students to think in a very strategic way about how

“Visual literacy is a critical tool in connecting

they would envision, implement and evaluate public

the scientist with the public, cutting through the

engagement activities. You can do these activities

overwhelming streams of information we encounter

over and over again, but if you are not sorting out

every day,” says Neal Overstrom, RI C-AIM co-principal

their effectiveness, they may not have any use.”

investigator and director of RISD’s Edna Lawrence

If students such as Demoranville can take their

Nature Lab. “Part of our mission is to foster the

experiences into future careers, more effective science

collection of compelling, high-quality images for

communication will provide pathways for new

sharing scientific discovery with both colleagues

dialogues about coastal ecology.

and lay audiences.”

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Providence College associate professor of Biology

of participants, from top experts looking at taxonomy

Dr. Joseph DeGiorgis, for example, is developing

and phylogenetic relationships all the way down to

an online catalog of Narragansett Bay’s plant and

junior high kids and hobby scientists.”

animal life, using a common technique called PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) to develop a unique

“I think the project has all of this potential for

DNA ‘barcode’ that will identify any given species.

outreach, getting local communities and schools

High definition, microscopic images of organisms

involved at all levels.”

are also being taken to complement the catalog.

Events such as the Nature Lab’s Macro workshop this “One of my favorite papers estimates that the number

past April, in which DeGiorgis and Overstrom gave

of species on the planet is 8.7 million, with an error

Rhode Islanders a first-hand look at The Nature Lab’s

of 1.3 million, but only 1.2 million have currently been

microscopic and photographic equipment, seek to

identified taxonomically,” says DeGiorgis about the

improve science literacy and start a conversation

catalog’s usefulness. “To me, it is so crazy to think that

among audiences about the best ways to receive

if you were doing DNA barcoding, there is a very good

and understand scientific data.

chance you will find novel species.”

“Collaborations that bring together artists and

The Fruits of Collaboration

scientists have the potential to inform research questions in complementary ways,” explains

The process of cataloging thousands of species,

Overstrom.” Art is about meaning, and to see data

from the tiniest diatom to the largest fish, will take

through an artist’s eye invites new understanding that

time, but DeGiorgis notes that much of the process is

for many the data alone might not convey.”

simple and inexpensive, and thus involving students and citizen scientists in helping RI C-AIM researchers collect and code species is a real possibility.

“It is a very grassroots type of thing,” says DeGiorgis.

“At the extreme ends of it, you have this huge range

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Below: Lucia Monge, RI C-AIM Coordinator at the Rhode Island School of Design, shows off new photographic equipment at The Nature Lab. Right: Providence College’s Joseph DeGiorgis prepares the microscope to take high resolution images of a well-known bivalve: the scallop.

THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

Credit: Joseph DeGiorgis

RI C-AIM RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCOR

19

THRUST 3 | INNOVATION

INTO THE TECH The countertop is littered with small pieces of scrap paper and vials of multi-colored fluids. After placing a drop of liquid containing nitrate on a paper strip which looks like a keyhole, University of Rhode Island graduate student Teresa Mako stares intently at the rectangular card she has carefully folded together. “It takes a few minutes for the color to change,� she says with a patient voice.

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THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

So goes the testing process for a new kind of marine detection system being developed through RI C-AIM: paper-based sensors. Dr. Jason Dwyer, associate professor of Chemistry at URI, is part of an interdisciplinary team of RI C-AIM researchers developing technologies which can identify specific chemicals or biological organisms occurring in Narragansett Bay.

“If you hand a tube of paper to somebody on a jet-ski, well, this becomes a really powerful way of getting data.”

Why paper-based sensors? Although the engineering behind such a product is complex, it’s meant to be a simple tool that anyone can take down to the shore and discover the water’s chemical or biological

“We are looking for very simple chemical species that

composition.

are difficult to detect,” stresses Dwyer. “A lot of people don’t realize the amount of work it takes to go from

“In the bay, there is a limited number of buoys and

that first demonstration to a device which has passed

sensors you can have,” explains Dwyer. “But if you

all the tests and works reliably.”

hand a tube of paper to somebody on a jet-ski, well, this becomes a really powerful way of getting data.”

The interdisciplinary team has been consulting

The associate professor says the greatest challenge

current research and, by trial-and-error, figuring out

for engineers and chemists alike is to create a paper

the chemical makeup necessary for a paper sensor to

sensor which can detect a specific material every

detect molecules such as nitrates and phosphates, or

single time it is dipped into water.

even algal bacteria.

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Credit: Timo Kuester

“The most exciting thing for me to see in this research

while Dr. Anubhav Tripathi, professor of Engineering

is that we have a very good synthetic chemistry

at Brown University, is leading efforts to create more

team led by URI’s Dr. Mindy Levine working with

sensitive ‘biosensors,’ or devices which activate

Dr. Mohammad Faghri, also at URI, who’s running a

molecule-sized organisms, such as enzymes, to detect

very good mechanical engineering team. They don’t

chemicals in the water column.

always speak the same language but, if you want to make a device that you can dip in water with a

The goal for C-AIM researchers is to not just create novel

specifically timed reaction, those teams need to be

technologies from past models, but to also provide

able to work with each other.”

a platform for students and early-career scientists to utilize their work in more entrepreneurial ways.

This collaboration among researchers throughout Rhode Island is a crucial aspect of C-AIM’s success,

“There is a huge gap between the invention at a

Dwyer emphasizes.

university and then getting it to market,” Dwyer explains. “It takes a tremendous amount of work to

“This is kind of the first research project I have

optimize products so they work the same way every

ever been involved with that is so incredibly

time in unskilled hands and, if the inventor doesn’t file

interdisciplinary. Even on one narrow focus such as

a patent and publishes, the secret is out. No company

paper sensors, there is a tremendous breadth of

will want to invest.”

viewpoint and experience from participants.”

“It is tremendously exciting to take an intellectual Paper-based sensors are not the only tech that C-AIM

idea and carry it to market, but we first have to train

is developing to improve marine detection, either.

students that such a path is a possibility.”

Dwyer and his graduate students, in cooperation

22

with Dr. Bernard Munge at Salve Regina and Dr.

In the meantime, however, Dwyer and his fellow

Vinka Craver at URI, among others, are developing

researchers are firmly focused on getting the latest

nanofabricated sensors which can detect low

batch of paper sensors out on Narragansett Bay

occurrences of chemicals and organisms rapidly,

and into the hands of local communities.

THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

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Five Years & Beyond When speaking of making scientific progress through RI C-AIM, principal investigator Dr. Geoffrey Bothun is again quick to point out that current research is already a culmination of past work conducted by numerous RI NSF EPSCoR-funded researchers.

But what will make this ambitious program

For Dr. Lewis Rothstein, C-AIM’s ability to generate new

ultimately successful? New collaborations

questions is a good thing, demonstrating the need for

and applied research, says Bothun.

continued investment.

“Any scientific program never says, ‘I have the answer’,”

“Across every research thrust,” he explains, “we want

he asserts. “You are always looking for the next best

to make clear to the community how you can take

set of questions, but my hope is that we invest in the

lab-based research and apply it to something,

Bay Observatory forever.”

create products and companies, do things that are of societal good and address challenges

RI C-AIM’s sustainability is not just a matter of

within the environment.”

continuous research or technological developments, but also a dedication among participants to develop long-term partnerships in communities and among industries which rely on Narragansett Bay. “We can be seen in the same way as a Silicon Valley,”

With over $19 million and countless hours invested

believes Dr. Breea Govenar. “We are very proud of

by the end of the five-year grant period, the

the fact that the most cutting edge research for

success of individual projects within RI C-AIM will

understanding climate change and ocean health is

be measured differently.

here in Rhode Island.”

• Will the RI Data Discovery Center be utilized as

And with a diverse community of researchers, adds

a go-to source for chemical and biological data

Bothun, challenging scientific and socio-economic

of Narragansett Bay?

problems facing Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island can be more effectively addressed.

• Will local communities engage in ‘citizen science’ by using paper-based sensors while

“Good solutions come from diverse life and cultural

enjoying their summer on the bay?

experience, and the biggest problems are only solved by collaborative efforts,” he stresses. “What is really

• Can C-AIM researchers develop socio-economic models which predict how climate change in

exciting is we are putting research in the hands of people who can do something with it.”

the bay will affect coastal communities?

“The question is, are we not only accomplishing great research but also developing careers through RI C-AIM?”

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THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018

RI C-AIM’s sustainability is not just a matter of continuous research or technological developments, but also a dedication among participants to develop longterm partnerships in communities and among industries which rely on Narragansett Bay.

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THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018 25

The Current 224 Pastore Hall 51 Upper College Road University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI 02881

Narragansett Bay, lined by 400 miles of bustling coastline, is the ecological lifeblood of Rhode Island.

From sustaining marine industries to protecting crucial mammal and fish species, the bay’s waters

Connect with RI C-AIM facebook.com/RhodeIslandEPSCOR twitter.com/RIEPSCOR linkedin.com/RINSFEPSCOR

help many stakeholders thrive.

Through RI C‑AIM, engineers, scientists, businesses, students and coastal communities are working together to position Rhode Island as a center of excellence for assessing, predicting and responding to the bay’s ever‑changing and diverse ecosystem.

WE B.U R I .E D U /R IN S F EPSCO R 26

RI

R HODE ISL A N D CON SORT I U M F OR

Coastal Ecology Assessment Innovation & Modeling THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018