Community science to the rescue: capturing water quality data during the COVID-19 pandemic
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted all aspects of human activity, including environmental research and monitoring. Despite a lack of laboratory access and other restrictive measures, we adapted an existing community science monitoring program to continue through the summer of 2020. We worked...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Canadian Science Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | FACETS |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2023-0004 |
| _version_ | 1797661239651860480 |
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| author | Erin D. Smith Andrea E. Kirkwood |
| author_facet | Erin D. Smith Andrea E. Kirkwood |
| author_sort | Erin D. Smith |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted all aspects of human activity, including environmental research and monitoring. Despite a lack of laboratory access and other restrictive measures, we adapted an existing community science monitoring program to continue through the summer of 2020. We worked with local community groups to recruit 58 volunteers who collected lake water samples from 60 sites on 16 lakes in south-central Ontario from June to September 2020. We organized drop-off depots and had volunteers freeze samples to monitor nearshore nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) and chlorophyll-a. A survey was distributed to volunteers to analyze lake-front property owners’ activities during the pandemic. We found spatial patterns in nearshore water quality across the lakes, with sub-watershed development being a significant predictor of nutrients and chlorophyll-a. Additionally, pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic (2020 and 2021) nutrient concentrations were compared, but there was no clear impact of the pandemic on nearshore nutrient concentrations, despite changes in lake-front property owners activities. Overall, this study demonstrated the ability of community science to provide water quality data on a large spatial scale despite a major societal disruption, providing insight into regional nutrient trends during the first year of the pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:41:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3e00703e99534bcb8a1321252d971a34 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2371-1671 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:41:32Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Canadian Science Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | FACETS |
| spelling | doaj.art-3e00703e99534bcb8a1321252d971a342023-10-12T12:00:31ZengCanadian Science PublishingFACETS2371-16712023-01-01811210.1139/facets-2023-0004Community science to the rescue: capturing water quality data during the COVID-19 pandemicErin D. Smith0Andrea E. Kirkwood1Kirkwood Lab, Faculty of Science, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, ON, CanadaKirkwood Lab, Faculty of Science, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, ON, CanadaIn 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted all aspects of human activity, including environmental research and monitoring. Despite a lack of laboratory access and other restrictive measures, we adapted an existing community science monitoring program to continue through the summer of 2020. We worked with local community groups to recruit 58 volunteers who collected lake water samples from 60 sites on 16 lakes in south-central Ontario from June to September 2020. We organized drop-off depots and had volunteers freeze samples to monitor nearshore nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) and chlorophyll-a. A survey was distributed to volunteers to analyze lake-front property owners’ activities during the pandemic. We found spatial patterns in nearshore water quality across the lakes, with sub-watershed development being a significant predictor of nutrients and chlorophyll-a. Additionally, pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic (2020 and 2021) nutrient concentrations were compared, but there was no clear impact of the pandemic on nearshore nutrient concentrations, despite changes in lake-front property owners activities. Overall, this study demonstrated the ability of community science to provide water quality data on a large spatial scale despite a major societal disruption, providing insight into regional nutrient trends during the first year of the pandemic.https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2023-0004community sciencewater qualitynearshore zonepandemicnutrientsanthropause |
| spellingShingle | Erin D. Smith Andrea E. Kirkwood Community science to the rescue: capturing water quality data during the COVID-19 pandemic FACETS community science water quality nearshore zone pandemic nutrients anthropause |
| title | Community science to the rescue: capturing water quality data during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Community science to the rescue: capturing water quality data during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Community science to the rescue: capturing water quality data during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Community science to the rescue: capturing water quality data during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Community science to the rescue: capturing water quality data during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | community science to the rescue capturing water quality data during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | community science water quality nearshore zone pandemic nutrients anthropause |
| url | https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2023-0004 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT erindsmith communitysciencetotherescuecapturingwaterqualitydataduringthecovid19pandemic AT andreaekirkwood communitysciencetotherescuecapturingwaterqualitydataduringthecovid19pandemic |