Research Projects for Bachelor Thesis

In the scope of Surfside Science: Validation of replicable methods for coastal ecosystem monitoring

If you’re interested in pursuing any of the projects below for your Bachelor’s Thesis research, or in being part of a shorter term internship on the project, check out our website for more information and email us at science [at] brenchies [dot] com with your CV and a brief description of your interest in the project to apply.

Project 1: Analysis of low-cost replicable methods for ocean monitoring in Aruba

Project 2: Using open access GIS tools to monitor coastal change on SIDS

Project 3: The viability of low-cost electronic sensors in facilitating continuous ocean-water quality monitoring: A case study of Surfside Bay in Aruba

Project 1

Analysis of low-cost replicable methods for ocean monitoring in Aruba

Assessment of low-cost scientific methods for ocean monitoring, focusing on the areas of physical measurement and mapping using a combination of electronic sensors and satellite imagery analysis, using Surfside as a case study for the potential to support ocean science efforts in Small Island Developing States and other coastal communities.

Goal 

The goal is to support the development of low cost continuous environmental monitoring systems that can be useful for SIDS and other coastal communities. Specifically, this project involves the examination of articles discussing challenges for environmental monitoring in SIDS with a focus on OCTA, published in the last 10 years in order to identify best practices and key challenges. Additionally, the student will examine the ongoing Surfside Science program and identify how these efforts can contribute to improved environmental monitoring in Aruba looking at strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities as related to the literature analysis.

When?

Fall 2022 – Summer 2023 (8 months)

Who?

3rd year Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Engineering student studying in the UA SISSTEM faculty.

Co- Supervision by:

Christie Mettes (MSc Environmental Science, director of Metabolic Foundation)

TBD (UA faculty)

Potential actions 

The work is divided into 2 blocks:

  • Block 1 (50% of the time):
    • Select and read articles discussing (environmental) data projects in SIDS and/or lack of environmental data in SIDS published since 2012, preferably with a focus on islands within OCTA
    • Identify key obstacles towards environmental monitoring in SIDS , this can include the analysis of gray literature and interviews where academic literature is lacking
    • Identify best practices for environmental monitoring in SIDS
  • Block 2 (50% of the time):
    • Identify which best practices are present within the Surfside Science program
    • Identify which obstacles are relevant to the Surfside Science program
    • Identify actions which can be taken to avoid identified obstacles in the Surfside Science program 

Expected results / the thesis should include:

  • Block 1:
    • A list of reviewed literature on environmental data collection in SIDS (with a focus on OCTA region) since 2012
    • A spreadsheet detailing commonly mentioned obstacles mentioned in the literature and those mentioned in gray literature and interviews
  • Block 2:
    • Analysis of how the practices developed by Surfside Science respond to identified obstacles, opportunities, including outlook for the replicability of actions

Skills to be acquired

The student is expected acquire skills: 

  1. To understand obstacles for continued environmental data collection in SIDS
  2. To contribute towards improved environmental data collection in Aruba 
  3. To understand the challenges for environmental data collection in SIDS 
  4. To work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team from Metabolic Foundation 
  5. To conduct a systematic literature review 
  6. To conduct semi-structured interviews  
  7. To communicate at different levels to various stakeholders

Literature

Maharaj, Shobha, et al, 2022. IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6): Climate Change 2022-Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability: Regional Factsheet Small Islands. WG2AR6_FD_Ch15_Final (ipcc.ch)

Miloslavich et al., 2018. Essential ocean variables for global sustained observations of biodiversity and ecosystem changes. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14108

Aruba SDG Indicator Working Group, 2021. Aruba Sustainable Development Goals Indicators 2021. https://sdgaruba.com/pages/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FINAL_SDG-IWG-INDICATORS-2021_REPORT.pdf

US EPA, 2019. Handbook for citizen science: Quality assurance and documentation. https://www.epa.gov/participatory-science/quality-assurance-handbook-and-toolkit-participatory-science-projects

Wylie et al., 2014. Institutions for civic technoscience: how critical making is transforming environmental research. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01972243.2014.875783

Trevathan and Johnstone, 2018. Smart Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Technologies (SEMAT)—A New Paradigm for Low-Cost, Remote Aquatic Environmental Monitoring. https://doi.org/10.3390/s18072248

Project 2

Using open access GIS tools to monitor coastal change on SIDS

Using Google Earth Engine (GEE) with openly available satellite imagery datasets to examine changes in coastal vegetation, reef islands, beach sand erosion and deposition, and shallow seafloor coverage. Options will also be considered for time series mapping and analysis to track coastal changes over time. Student should have experience with GIS and/or computer programming.

Goal 

In collaboration with Metabolic Foundation, develop a set of GIS tools using GEE that can contribute to measuring Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). 

When?

Fall 2022 – Summer 2023 (8 months)

Who? 

3rd year Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Engineering student studying in the UA SISSTEM faculty.

Co- Supervision by:

Christie Mettes (MSc Environmental Science, director of Metabolic Foundation)

Tatiana Becker (MSc Marine Resource Management and Aquaculture, lecturer at University of Aruba)

Potential actions

The work is divided into 3 blocks:

  • Block 1 (40% of the time):
    • Analyze environmental SDG indicators which majority of SIDS are not reporting. 
    • Define which of these could be monitored using GEE
    • Look at academic literature where GEE or other GIS methods were applied to collect similar data from the past 10 years
  • Block 2 (40% of the time):
    • Work with Metabolic Foundation to develop appropriate GEE methods to measure one of the defined indicators 
  • Block 3 (20% of the time):
    • Validate GIS products with field measurements

Expected results / the thesis should include:

  • Block 1:
    • List of SDG indicators which many SIDS are not reporting 
    • Defining which of these could be measured using GIS tools
    • Examples of existing GIS methods to measure these SDG indicators 
  • Block 2:
    • GIS toolkit based on GEE to collect information on identified SDG indicator with Metabolic Foundation’s Surfside Science team
  • Block 3:
    • Analysis of GIS product validity based on field measurements 

Skills to be acquired

The student is expected to acquire skills:

  1. To understand how to use GEE
  2. Understand which environmental indicators of the SDGs are lacking in most SIDS 
  3. Define opportunities where GIS could be used to measure these SDGs
  4. Work together with a local ngo: Metabolic Foundation 
  5. Validate remote sensing data with ground measurements 
  6. To communicate at different levels

Literature

Holdaway and Ford, 2019. Resolution and scale controls on the accuracy of atoll island shorelines interpreted from satellite imagery. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12518-019-00266-7

Dai et al., 2019. Coastline extraction from repeat high resolution satellite imagery. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.04.010

Fagherazzi et al., 2019. Variations in Persistence and Regenerative Zones in Coastal Forests Triggered by Sea Level Rise and Storms. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11172019

Li et al., 2021. Automated Global Shallow Water Bathymetry Mapping Using Google Earth Engine. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13081469

Hogrefe, 2008. Derivation of near-shore bathymetry from multispectral satellite imagery used in a coastal terrain model for the topographic analysis of human influence on coral reefs. https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/7h149t00f

Yancho et al., 2020. The Google Earth Engine Mangrove Mapping Methodology (GEEMMM). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12223758

Project 3

The viability of low-cost electronic sensors in facilitating continuous ocean-water quality monitoring: A case study of Surfside Bay in Aruba

Participate in the development and testing of electronic water quality monitoring stations to assess the replicability and reliability of their use for continuous environmental monitoring, using Surfside Bay as a study area. Parameters include pH, dissolved oxygen, electric conductivity, and temperature. 

Goal 

In collaboration with Metabolic Foundation, develop and conduct quality control and assessment to contribute to the validation of open source water quality multiprobe meters (OSWMM). 

When 

Fall 2022 – Summer 2023 (8 months)

Who?
3rd year Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Engineering student studying in the UA SISSTEM faculty.

Co- Supervision by:

Tatiana Becker (MSc Marine Resource Management and Aquaculture, lecturer at University of Aruba)

TBD (UA faculty)

Get hands-on experience in statistical analysis and concepts taught in module 4, 5 and 6 of the course “Software Project Management” (specialization Information and Data Sciences). 

Potential actions
The work is divided into 3 blocks:

  • Block 1 (40% of the time):
    • Analyze literature on the use of low-cost electronic monitoring systems 
    • Help evaluate standard methods for monitoring ocean water quality looking at all or some of these parameters: temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and conductivity. 
    • Help determine appropriate statistical methods required for validation procedures 
    • Co-develop validation procedures for all or some of the parameters based on chosen standard methods.
  • Block 2 (40% of the time):
    • Collect data in the field/lab together with metabolic foundation following standard methods include documentation to compare against the OSWMM.
  • Block 3 (20% of the time):
    • Compare the different methods statistically to see if the standard methods and OSWMM reliably measure the same thing.  

Expected results / the thesis should include:

  • Block 1:
    • List of standard methods used to measure ocean temp, pH, conductivity and Dissolved Oxygen, and which one is used for what, 
    • Co-write a Quality Assurance Project Plan including a discussion of needed facilities to measure these parameters using standard methods, consider for example:  cost, human capital and institutional capital 
  • Block 2:
    • Collaborate with Metabolic Foundation to measure these parameters using standard methods. 
    • Document standard methods and results
  • Block 3:
    • Statistical analysis to validate the OSWMM
    • Document validation

Skills to be acquired

The student is expected to acquire skills:

  1. Statistical analysis using R
  2. Apply Standard Methods for Ocean Water Analysis
  3. Apply Quality Control and Assessment
  4. Calibration of instruments used in standard methods
  5. Understand the difference in reliability between different methods to measure the same parameters 
  6. Understand why many SIDS don’t measure these parameters 
  7. Work together with a local ngo: Metabolic Foundation 
  8. To work and communicate in an interdisciplinary project

Literature
Walter, W. G. (1961). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. https://drive.google.com/file/d/11Ec6RsTc6GcvUA0pGzSCsK6zlaBmABEe/view?usp=sharing

US Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2019. Handbook for citizen science: Quality assurance and documentation. https://www.epa.gov/participatory-science/quality-assurance-handbook-and-toolkit-participatory-science-projects

Fonseca-Campos et al., 2022. Multiparametric System for Measuring Physicochemical Variables Associated to Water Quality Based on the Arduino Platform. 10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3187422

Silva et al., 2022. Advances in Technological Research for Online and In Situ Water Quality Monitoring—A Review. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095059