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
1
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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2
3
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
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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. 20
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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.
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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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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
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R HODE ISL A N D CON SORT I U M F OR
Coastal Ecology Assessment Innovation & Modeling THE CURRENT | SUMMER 2018