STREAMS - Synthesizing Teaching and Research using Experimental Aquatic Mesocosms

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The greenhouse, which is currently in the final stages of construction. The front half will house our stream facility, and the back half will be shared with the Keiser lab.
We are building an experimental stream facility at UF that will allow us to synthesize undergraduate and graduate teaching with cutting-edge research using artificial stream mesocosms outfitted with a networked sensor array that provides real-time data on stream temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and pH. This facility will be used for teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in aquatic ecology, water resources management, and experimental design, and for conducting basic and applied research using controlled, replicated experiments. The design is based on the artificial stream array in Emma Rosi's lab at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and will be housed in a greenhouse next door to the Dept. of Biology at UF. We are anticipating the facility will be fully functional by Spring. 2020, and we are actively seeking collaborators to conduct research in the facility. Please contact us if you are interested in working here!
The figures below show preliminary 3D sketches of our anticipated stream layout, with three motors driving six paddle wheels, for a total of 18 recirculating streams. The array is modular, so additional streams can be added.