We're partnering with the EPA to understand current wastewater practices in the FL Keys!

Lee Kump and I recently had our proposal, Quantifying the impact of shallow wastewater injection on groundwater nutrient fluxes to surface waters in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, funded by the EPA! With this funding we will be able to support two new graduate students, Kate Meyers and Megan Martin, in their studies with the intent to improve wastewater management practices in the FL Keys. Currently, wastewater is injected under pressure directly into the carbonate karst aquifer beneath the Keys. Because of the density contrast between fresh wastewater and saline groundwater, wastewater plumes buoyantly return to the surface and have a propensity to contaminate nearshore waters important to human and animal habitats, such as coral reefs. We will be studying nitrogen fixation and phosphate adsorption in the Key Largo Limestone for the next 3 years. Wish us luck!