Ph. D student tries to save endangered fish species

Check out the following link to read about an interview that Sujan M. Henkanaththegedara had with a reporter from WDAY Channel 6, Fargo, ND. Click on this embedded link to view a video of his interview.

Floating Islands for the Lewis Center MTC Refuge

On Saturday, April 24, 2010, Sean Dempsey (Director of Development for Floating Islands, West, above), myself and 35 students installed five floating islands (totaling 227.5 square feet ).

This project was made possible through a four-way partnership between the Lewis Center for Educational Research, the Mojave Water Agency, the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority and Floating Islands, West.

Four of the islands were bolted together forming two pairs (above). These were anchored in place in the deep end of Tui Slough. The fifth, round island, is anchored in place in Deppe Pond.

Floating island, produced by BioHaven, are designed to mimic nature (using an architectural principle called biomimicry; the science and art of emulating natural biological systems to solve human problems). By providing a buoyant, artificial structural matrix that when full matured, (supporting a diverse community of native plants, insects, bacteria and decomposers) mimics nature by creating artificial floating wetland bogs. According to studies by Floating Islands International, these living communities, supported by the floating island's 100% fully recycled plastic matrix can:

• Remove pollutants from a waterway, including nitrates, phosphates, ammonia, and heavy metals.
• Provide critical riparian edge habitat (new land mass for use by all kinds of creatures, from microbes to
• humans).
• Mine nutrient loads from any waterway and reduce algae blooms.
• Sequester carbon and other greenhouse gases.
• Provide wave mitigation and erosion control while beautifying a waterscape with floating gardens.

Beside these benefits, each island will provide valuable cover for the Mohave tui chub. The islands will also be used to support an underwater camera whose footage will provide our student scientists and their mentors with valuable insights into the behavior and ecology of this endangered species.

(Above, senior Marta Polovin gives the other students
pointers on how to identify native and non-native plants)

For more pictures and information about the project read the following article by the Victorville Daily Press.