Undergraduate Researcher return to map return to student search
Hometown:
Syracuse, NY US
School:
University of Idaho
Undergraduate student
Engineering
Funded by EPSCoR Award:
ICREWS | OIA-2242769
Research Location(s):
North Idaho
COUNTIES: Kootenai
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT(S): District 4
Research Statement:
Lake Coeur d'Alene is a vital freshwater resource supporting ecological, recreational, and economic activities throughout northern Idaho. Through an internship with the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI), I contribute to long-term lake monitoring while exploring technologies that can improve freshwater data collection. This project combines field monitoring, environmental data management, and engineering design to support long-term water quality monitoring and future freshwater research. My work includes weekly field monitoring alongside the Bay Watchers citizen science program, where I travel by boat to sampling sites across Lake Coeur d'Alene. At each location, a YSI multiparameter probe measures water quality, while a Van Dorn sampler collects water for laboratory analysis. I also organize, validate, and upload monitoring data into the IDAH2O database, helping maintain long-term water quality records and support future analysis. I also contribute to the Sunfish project at CIIR, which aims to restore a BlueROV2 underwater robot for freshwater research. Current engineering efforts focus on developing a remote water sampling attachment capable of collecting samples comparable to the Van Dorn method. Preliminary evaluation suggests manual sampling remains cost-effective, reliable, and adaptable, while automated sampling offers greater consistency, reduces personnel risk, and may improve access to difficult sampling locations. With continued development, Sunfish could complement traditional monitoring by supporting long-term datasets used to detect environmental trends and inform management of Lake Coeur d'Alene.
Research Impact:
This research supports the long-term monitoring of Lake Coeur d'Alene by contributing valuable water quality data to IDAH2O. Continued development of autonomous sampling technologies, such as the SunFish ROV, could improve the efficiency and consistency of freshwater monitoring across Idaho.