Citizen Scientists Contribute to Real-Time Monitoring of Lake Water Quality Using 3D Printed Mini Secchi Disks

George, Grinson; Menon, Nandini; Anas, Abdulaziz; Brewin, Robert J. W.; Pranav, P.; Gopalakrishnan, A; Mini, K G; Kuriakose, Somy; Sathyendranath, Shubha; Platt, Trevor

doi:10.3389/frwa.2021.662142

Cited by 25 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…In this study, multi-spectral remote sensing observations were used to analyse trends in water quality parameters in Lake Vembanad, India, before, during, and after a nationally imposed lockdown (25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31) May 2020) associated with the global pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2. In situ samples were collected during the lockdown in May 2020 and were compared with samples collected in May 2019 as part of an ongoing study [14,26,27]. Long-term trends in water quality, as observed in the satellite record (2013-2020), were also addressed.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In May 2020, in situ observations were collected, which provided us with the chance to fill gaps in the data during a later phase of the lockdown when remote sensing observations were obstructed by cloud cover. The in situ observations in May 2020 were compared with those collected in May 2019 as part of an ongoing study on the water quality of Lake Vembanad [14,26,27] and analysed in relation to seasonal and inter-annual variations in these properties. The results are discussed in the context of the longer term trends of water quality of Lake Vembanad and the importance of addressing anthropogenic activities in the sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems and water resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of Reduced Anthropogenic Activities on Water Quality in Lake Vembanad, India

et al. 2021

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The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal Life Below Water (SDG-14) aims to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development”. Within SDG-14, targets 14.1 and 14.2 deal with marine pollution and the adverse impacts of human activities on aquatic systems. Here, we present a remote-sensing-based analysis of short-term changes in the Vembanad-Kol wetland system in the southwest of India. The region has experienced high levels of anthropogenic pressures, including from agriculture, industry, and tourism, leading to adverse ecological and socioeconomic impacts with consequences not only for achieving the targets set out in SDG-14, but also those related to water quality (SDG-6) and health (SDG-3). To move towards the sustainable management of coastal and aquatic ecosystems such as Lake Vembanad, it is important to understand how both natural and anthropogenic processes affect water quality. In 2020, a unique opportunity arose to study water quality in Lake Vembanad during a period when anthropogenic pressures were reduced due to a nationwide lockdown in response to the global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (25 March–31 May 2020). Using Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 multi-spectral remote sensing and in situ observations to analyse changes in five different water quality indicators, we show that water quality improved in large areas of Lake Vembanad during the lockdown in 2020, especially in the more central and southern regions, as evidenced by a decrease in total suspended matter, turbidity, and the absorption by coloured dissolved organic matter, all leading to clearer waters as indicated by the Forel-Ule classification of water colour. Further analysis of longer term trends (2013–2020) showed that water quality has been improving over time in the more northern regions of Lake Vembanad independent of the lockdown. The improvement in water quality during the lockdown in April–May 2020 illustrates the importance of addressing anthropogenic activities for the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems and water resources.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Reduced Anthropogenic Activities on Water Quality in Lake Vembanad, India

et al. 2021

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“…Data collection was done as a citizen science activity, and the measurements made during low tide were discarded. Local inhabitants who volunteered to undertake the measurements were given the 3DMSDs and data collection was supervised by our team [14]. Weekly averaged observations of Secchi depth, water colour, pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen at the seven stations from week 2 to week 5 after demolition were plotted as split heat maps using the 'pheatmap' package [15] in R. To evaluate the changes in water quality indicators with time after the demolition activities, a paired t-test was conducted for observations over three to five weeks against observations from the second week, using SPSS v.21.…”

Section: Methodolgymentioning

confidence: 99%

Citizen Science Tools Reveal Changes in Estuarine Water Quality Following Demolition of Buildings

et al. 2021

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Turbidity and water colour are two easily measurable properties used to monitor pollution. Here, we highlight the utility of a low-cost device—3D printed, hand-held Mini Secchi disk (3DMSD) with Forel-Ule (FU) colour scale sticker on its outer casing—in combination with a mobile phone application (‘TurbAqua’) that was provided to laymen for assessing the water quality of a shallow lake region after demolition of four high-rise buildings on the shores of the lake. The demolition of the buildings in January 2020 on the banks of a tropical estuary—Vembanad Lake (a Ramsar site) in southern India—for violation of Indian Coastal Regulation Zone norms created public uproar, owing to the consequences of subsequent air and water pollution. Measurements of Secchi depth and water colour using the 3DMSD along with measurements of other important water quality variables such as temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO) using portable instruments were taken for a duration of five weeks after the demolition to assess the changes in water quality. Paired t-test analyses of variations in water quality variables between the second week of demolition and consecutive weeks up to the fifth week showed that there were significant increases in pH, dissolved oxygen, and Secchi depth over time, i.e., the impact of demolition waste on the Vembanad Lake water quality was found to be relatively short-lived, with water clarity, colour, and DO returning to levels typical of that period of year within 4–5 weeks. With increasing duration after demolition, there was a general decrease in the FU colour index to 17 at most stations, but it did not drop to 15 or below, i.e., towards green or blue colour indicating clearer waters, during the sampling period. There was no significant change in salinity from the second week to the fifth week after demolition, suggesting little influence of other factors (e.g., precipitation or changes in tidal currents) on the inferred impact of demolition waste. Comparison with pre-demolition conditions in the previous year (2019) showed that the relative changes in DO, Secchi depth, and pH were very high in 2020, clearly depicting the impact of demolition waste on the water quality of the lake. Match-ups of the turbidity of the water column immediately before and after the demolition using Sentinel 2 data were in good agreement with the in situ data collected. Our study highlights the power of citizen science tools in monitoring lakes and managing water resources and articulates how these activities provide support to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets on Health (Goal 3), Water quality (Goal 6), and Life under the water (Goal 14).

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“…A similar activity was presented in [39], where transparency measures taken with mini 3D-printed Secchi disks were uploaded via the TurbAqua App. Older students were also asked to collect temperature data using kitchen thermometers or better tools that were already owned by schools.…”

Section: Citizen Engagement: Schools Associations and Municipalitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Citizen Science Impact on Environmental Monitoring towards SDGs Indicators: The CASE of SIMILE Project

Biraghi

Carrión²,

Brovelli³

2022

Sustainability

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This study presents the ongoing activities of citizen science (CS) monitoring of lake water quality that was developed in the SIMILE project. After presenting the tools and the initiatives that were implemented to gather volunteer contributions, the CS data are analyzed: to understand the main factors driving the contribution provided by citizens, through a proximity analysis using hierarchical clustering; to evaluate their added value and complementary nature in view of the proposed integrated lake monitoring with respect to remote sensing (RS) water quality parameters maps and in situ high-frequency monitoring (HFM) data that were acquired in the framework of SIMILE project, through an intercomparison of temperature data; and to highlight water quality patterns in the lakes under study. It is then discussed how the project outcomes could directly or indirectly contribute to the measurement of specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators highlighting the potential impact of CS activities. The conclusions highlight the complementary nature of CS and the need of supporting activities for a continuous lake water quality monitoring. The possibility for the partner local authorities to maintain the CS monitoring establishing a Citizen Observatory (CO) and the opportunity to extend the SIMILE approach to neighboring lakes and beyond is also discussed.

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Citizen Scientists Contribute to Real-Time Monitoring of Lake Water Quality Using 3D Printed Mini Secchi Disks

Cited by 25 publications

References 52 publications

Effect of Reduced Anthropogenic Activities on Water Quality in Lake Vembanad, India

Effect of Reduced Anthropogenic Activities on Water Quality in Lake Vembanad, India

Citizen Science Tools Reveal Changes in Estuarine Water Quality Following Demolition of Buildings

Citizen Science Impact on Environmental Monitoring towards SDGs Indicators: The CASE of SIMILE Project

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