Healthy coral reefs, healthy people: Using technology to protect coral reefs and improve well-being of a

community in the San Juan Bay Estuary watershed

Abelardo Colon Nieves

Molly Ramsey, Shweta Sharma

• Communities along Laguna Torrecilla source of heavy metal discharge to Laguna Torrecilla and Boca de Cangrejo.

• Coral reef communities of Boca de Cangrejo highly degraded by sedimentation and heavy metal discharges

• Community awareness about their role in coral reef conservation and management.

• Expensive to monitor heavy metal concentration in San Juan Bay Estuary.

Research Problem

Photos from J. Bauza

Research Problem

Overview of Project

• Multi-disciplinary Research– Biophysical /Nanotechnology: Development of Heavy

Metal Sensor– Ecology/Toxicology: Monitoring of coral reef species

and experimentation of heavy metal toxicity to sensitive coral reef species

• Collaborative Community Science– Resource Users: Community along Laguna Torrecilla– Resource Managers: San Juan Bay Estuary Program,

potentially DRNA and PRASA– Researchers: UPR-RP

Strategic Plan of Sea Grant Puerto Rico 2014 - 2017

Healthy Ecosystems and Habitats

GOAL: Widespread use of ecosystem-based management approaches to managing land, water and living resources.

Learning outcomes: Residents, resource managers and businesses understand the effects of human activities and environmental changes on coastal resources.

Resource managers have an understanding of the social factors, policies and human processes that shape the seascape and habitats.

Action outcomes: Residents, resource managers and business collaborate, in an open and integrated manner, to facilitate the implementation of ecosystem-based management.

Consequence outcomes: Residents, resource managers and business owners integrate social, natural and physical sciences when managing resources and work with all sectors in the decision-making process.

Performance measures: Sea Grant-sponsored research projects incorporate, as partners and collaborators, the following: resource users, resource managers and researchers.

Healthy coral reefs, healthy people: Using technology to protect coral reefs and improve well-being of a

community in the San Juan Bay Estuary watershed

Abelardo Colon Nieves

Molly Ramsey, Shweta Sharma

Sensor for Heavy Metalsmonitoring

BackgroundObjectives

MethodologyHypothesis

Background• Electrochemical three-electrode sensors for trace determination of

elements in liquids can be utilized in many areas. Their sensing properties are usually determined by the properties of the working electrodes. High active electrode area on the miniaturized sensor is to create high surface area nanostructures for better work.

• The glassy carbon electrode modified by a nanoporous composite film was used successfully for the simultaneous voltammetry determination of a trace level of Cd(II) and Cu(II). One way of fabricating a low-cost small sensor with solid electrodes is use of the thick-film technology (TFT).

• TFT sensors is their low dimensions, good reproducibility, mechanical, electrical properties of electrodes, low cost of the electrodes and a well accessible and ecological fabrication process.

Background

• Graphene is a nanoscale allotrope of carbon like carbon nanotubes. Unlike graphite, the most common allotrope, graphene is quasi-two-dimensional, since electron can only move between carbon atoms in the 2D lattice. That’s make graphene sheet a ballisticallycarrier of electrons in their surface thereby conducting electricity. (Pollar, 2011.)

• Recent studies done by National Tsing Hua University has been shown the synthesis of single to few layer Graphene via CVD process on Nickel substrate (Zhen-Yu Juan et al, 2013.) showing that the industrial production of this material can be done at large scale production.

Objectives and Hypothesis

1. Synthesize carbon nanostructure material by Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (HFCVD) or TubeFurnace Chemical Vapor Deposition (TFCVD) in Coppersubstrate. Characterize nanostructure material byRAMAN, SEM, TEM microscopy and AFM.

Hypothesis 1: If we do a mix of CH4 and H2 gases in hightemperature in a specific amount of time in HFCVD orTBCVD with a Copper substrate then, carbonnanostructures like graphene will grow in a coppersubstrate by HFCVD or TFCVD.

Objective and Hypothesis

2. Create sensor electrode with carbon nanostructure copper substrate attached. Characterization of electrode with heavy metals solutions at laboratory and at different sites at Laguna Torrecillas in the San Juan estuary.

Hypothesis 2: If an electrode sensor for heavy metals that is made of carbon nanotubes and is more sensitive by higher surface area comparing it to graphite then, an electrode sensor for heavy metals made of graphene will be more sensitive in comparison of the nanotube sensor.

Methodology

• Synthesis: mix H2 CH4 gases with different concentration at 20 Torr pressure in 15-90 minutes time intervals with Copper or Nickel substrate in HFCVD.

• Electrode: Put copper or Nickel substrates in tree electrode electrochemical sensor in voltammetry determination of liquids metals.

• Test: put electrochemical sensor with different concentration of heavy metals for detection of analytical signal. Measure liquids metal concentration at 3 points of the Laguna Torrecillas/Boca Cangrejos area with calibrated electrode sensor elaborated in laboratory.

Healthy coral reefs, healthy people: Using technology to protect coral reefs and improve well-being of a

community in the San Juan Bay Estuary watershed

Abelardo Colon Nieves

Molly Ramsey, Shweta Sharma

Background

In our study we are evaluating the effect of high Hgconcentration on species of coral that are consideredsensitive. Those sensitive species require a higher abundanceof zooxanthellae to survive.

There are certain coral reef species found in Puerto Rico thatcontain abundant zooxanthellae and other species that do notcontain. For e.g. Hermatypic gorgonians require abundantzooxanthellae in their tissue for survival while Black corals donot (Carlos Goenaga, 1991).

Background

Untreated sewage and runoff, discharge in Laguna Torrecillashave higher concentration of Hg, which have lethal effect oncorals of Boca de Congrejo. Among heavy metals we areconsidering mercury due to it’s higher toxicity.

Concentration of Hg toxic to coral reef species range from0.03 to 0.2 mg/l. (C.Bastidas & E.M Garcia 2004)

Laguna Torrecillas have high Hg concentration 0.05mg/gm soall the sensitive species will die in Boca de Congrejo. Culebrahave low Hg concentration so sensitive as well as resistantboth variety can exist in Culebra

Hg concentration in Laguna Torrecillas

SJBEP (San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership). 2001. Comprehensive Conservation andManagement Plan for the San Juan Bay Estuary. San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership,San Juan, PR.

Table showing coral health and source of Hg in study area

Picture showing coral reef health conditionin Puerto Rico

Objective 1 - Study of effect of Hg concentration on coral survival

Hypothesis - Adult colonies of sensitive coral species will have alower survivorship in tank with Hg concentration representative ofcondition at Boca de Congrejo than in tanks with Hg concentrationsrepresentative of condition at Culebra.

Objective 2 - Monitor abundance of sensitive coral reef species inBoca de Congrejo and in Culebra.

Hypothesis- Because zooxanthellae are sensitive to Hg, wehypothesize that there is a low relative abundance of sensitive coralreef species in the system of Boca de Congrejo and a higher relativeabundance of sensitive coral reef species in the system of Culebra.

Objectives and Hypothesis

Method

We will collect colonies of coral species containing zooxanthellaeusing a hammer and chisel from 1 to 1.5 m deep reef flat from Bocade Cangrejo/Pinones and Culebra.

We will transport corals to the laboratory in 40 l sea watercontainer within 2 hrs of collection and thoroughly cleaned ofassociated biota.

We will do two semi static bioassay ( with water renewal every 3 d )in 11 to 15 days. This will be represented as bioassay I and IIrespectively.

For each bioassay 3 coral colonies will be used as replicates in eachconcentration of Hg

Method

Temperature of container we will keep less than requiredfor bleaching.

We will use Culebra condition as control to evaluate thepotential change in corals during the bioassayacclimatization period .

Healthy coral reefs, healthy people: Using technology to protect coral reefs and improve well-being of a

community in the San Juan Bay Estuary watershed

Abelardo Colon Nieves

Molly Ramsey, Shweta Sharma

Objectives and Hypotheses

Objective .COLLABORATIVE CITIZEN SCIENCE: Educate and engage community about the magnitude and sources of heavy metals and the effects of heavy metals on coral reefs. Engage resource users, managers, and researchers into the science research for co-learning.Hypothesis. The process of active engagement in scientific process measuring concentrations of heavy metals and studying the effects of heavy metals on coral reef systems we will increase the resource users knowledge and understanding about ecological relationship between their activities and coral reef communities of Boca de Cangrejo. We will increase the resource managers understanding of the social and environmental processes involved in the heavy metal pollution problem.

187 km 4.2 Sector Boca de Cangrejos, Piñones-Loíza

Methodology

Identification of Community Leaders and Community Members (adults, students in schools, both) to help collect, analyze, contribute to study design. COLI will assist us.

COPI: La Corporacion PinonesSe IntegraCommunity based, non profitIncorporated 1999

Partners: DRNASponsors: Estuario de la Bahia de San Juan

COPI is committed to finding alternatives to existing social problems that deteriorate Pinones in order to impress quality of life of residents, families, and visitors.

COPI is focus on strengthening the community of Pinones through numerous sustainable development initiatives, recognizing the peculiarities and necessities of community residents and its business community. COPI tries to promote an authentic process of community participation empowerment and mobilization through social improvement actions and microenterprise development

Offer lectures for groups on community development, natural resources, economic development, culture and environment conservation, among others.

Methodology

• Measure social learning in community by conducting surveys before and after educational workshops.

• Measure toxicity of coral community to heavy metal concentrations found in –

• Community members assist in sampling from coral reef systems. Take photographs of samples, assist with species identification on site.

• Community member share experience and results from study on reef community health with community during one of presentations/workshops.

• Measure species abundance of coral species (potential)

• using photographic data taken at coral reefs

• Measure Hg and heavy metal concentrations using sensor technology

• outflow pipes

• runoff areas

• Evaluate learning

• Using results from surveys conducted before, during, and after quantify learning based on learning outcomes identified at the beginning of the project.

Evaluation of Social Learning from Collaborative Citizen Science

Jordan et al. 2012.

Annual Budget

• Sensor Development $ 8,000

• Coral Bioassay Experiment $11,000

• Collaborative Citizen Science $ 5,600

Total (w/o stipend) $24,600

References

Bastidas, C., & García, E. M. (2004). Sublethal effects of mercury and its distribution in the coral Porites astreoides. Marine Ecology Progress Series,267, 133-143.

Goenaga, C., & Boulon, R. (1992). The state of Puerto Rican corals: An aid to managers. Report submitted to Caribbean Fisheries Management Council.

B. Pollard. 2011. Growing Graphene via Chemical Vapor Deposition. Department of Physics, Pomona College.

J. Praseka, J. Hubaleka, M. Adameka, O. Jasekb. Carbon nanotubes growndirectly on printed electrode of electrochemical sensor. Department of Microelectronics, Brno University of Technology, Department of PhysicalElectronics, Masaryk University.

Warne, A. G., Webb, R. M., & Larsen, M. C. (2005). Water, sediment, and nutrient discharge characteristics of rivers in Puerto Rico, and their potential influence on coral reefs. US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey.