Fall 2024 Semester Recap
Guest Speakers
In November, Dr. Danielle Wain (below right), research professor at Colby College in Waterville, and the Lake Science Director at the 7 Lakes Alliance in Belgrade, Maine, gave a seminar presentation for COPRI. Her talk focused on predicting lake turnover, a process that happens every fall and spring in many of Maine's lakes.
Later that month, Dr. Preston Spicer (below left) from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (and former founding president of our UMaine COPRI chapter!) returned to UMaine to share his research on tidal energy extraction in estuaries. Dr. Spicer discussed his findings within the Great Bay Estuary in New Hampshire and in Puget Sound on the coast of Washington, two dynamically different estuaries but both potential candidates for tidal energy operations.
Children's Water Festival
Aligned with our mission to share scientific and engineering knowledge, COPRI was present at the Children's Water Festival to teach 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade students about water issues. Our COPRI members presented diverse experiments that drew attention to how science can be used to study rivers and oceans. "The kids are always so interested in playing with fluids and are really communicative about what they have learned in class or internet", says Nalika Lakmali, a COPRI member who presented at the event. "It is a unique experience to interact with children who are so eager to understand how scientists study water issues".
Graduate Student Feature: Vanessa Quintana
Vanessa Quintana, a graduate student researcher, specializes in coastal and estuarine processes, focusing on contaminant transport and fish habitat modeling in the Penobscot River. Her research examines how mercury contamination and suspended particulates interact with tidal and riverine forces, influencing the habitats of anadromous fish, which migrate between freshwater and saltwater, including river herring, Atlantic sturgeon, shortnose sturgeon, and striped bass.
In 2023, Vanessa conducted fieldwork in the Penobscot River, collecting water samples to analyze material transport and deploying Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) to measure velocity and acoustic backscatter, which tracks suspended particulates in real-time. "Understanding how contamination moves through the system is critical," she explains. "The river's health is deeply connected to ecological resilience and human well-being." By integrating field data with hydrodynamic and ecological modeling, her research identifies high-risk spatial and temporal conditions where contaminant exposure may impact migrating fish and the communities relying on them.
Beyond its ecological impact, mercury contamination poses serious risks to human health. In estuaries like the Penobscot, mercury transforms into methylmercury at high rates, increasing its toxicity. Methylmercury bioaccumulates in fish, elevating exposure risks for communities relying on local fisheries.
Vanessa's research connects hydrodynamics, fish habitat modeling, and public health, examining how contamination affects fisheries, exposure risks, and ecosystem health. By working with scientists, policymakers, and local communities, she supports restoration efforts and fisheries management, providing key insights to mitigate contamination risks for wildlife and people.
Interested in hearing more about Vanessa's work? She'd be happy to hear from you! Feel free to send her an email and keep an eye out for her future publications!