DISES: RUI: Emplacing Algal Blooms to Advance Sustainability Theory and Praxis (EMBAST)

本项目研究导致淡水系统中有毒藻华的社会和环境条件。有害的藻华影响着全世界的淡水系统，给工业、娱乐和公共卫生造成了数十亿美元的经济损失。通过研究人员和社区组织之间的伙伴关系，研究了湖泊系统的历史、社会文化、政策和生态特征的作用，以确定有毒藻华的主要社会和环境驱动因素。该项目通过发展可持续性的概念来推进可持续性科学研究的理论和实践，该概念提出可持续性解决方案必须基于特定地点的历史、文化和生态。该项目为45名本科生提供了高影响力的研究经验。项目活动产生的更广泛影响包括政策简报、区域利益相关者研讨会、巡回多媒体弹出式展览、K-12教学资源、带有博客的项目网站以及在大众媒体上发表的文章。蓝藻华通过一系列相互关联的社会和环境条件发展。远端土地所有者的土地利用决策导致了藻华，导致关键行为者与影响地点之间的脱节。这种负面的空间外部性对制定有效的政策解决方案以减少藻华的流行和减轻其影响构成了特别的障碍。研究人员和社区组织将通过应用基于地点的研究方法的理论方法，共同发展社会和环境实践。该项目综合了政策和法规文件分析、档案研究、环境条件空间分析、参与观察、现场和在线调查、焦点小组、访谈、水质和水华严重程度抽样分析，为预测蓝藻水华严重程度的预测模型提供信息。来自记叙文、组图和焦点小组讨论的数据被用来考虑不同利益相关者在制定基于地方的政策解决方案时的观点。通过应用以安置为基础的框架，该项目进一步推动可持续性的基本发展，作为人与地方之间的持续对话。除了理论贡献，对有毒蓝藻华的实证研究将产生新的方法来检查和解决这一重要的环境问题。大批本科生将通过参加项目讲习班、数据收集规程培训和编写公共教育材料，接受可持续性科学和制定环境政策解决办法方面的培训。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project studies the social and environmental conditions that contribute to toxic algal blooms in freshwater systems. Harmful algal blooms affect freshwater systems worldwide and result in billions of dollars in economic losses to industry, recreation, and public health. The role of historical, socio-cultural, policy and ecological characteristics of lake systems are investigated through partnerships between researchers and community organizations to identify key social and environmental drivers of toxic algal blooms. The project advances the theory and practice of sustainability science research by developing the concept of emplaced sustainability, which proposes that sustainability solutions must be based in the histories, cultures and ecologies of specific places. The project provides high-impact research experiences for 45 undergraduate students. Broader impacts resulting from project activities include policy briefs, workshops for regional stakeholders, a traveling multimedia pop-up exhibit, K-12 teaching resources, a project website with blog, and articles in popular media. Cyanobacteria blooms develop through a set of interrelated social and environmental conditions. Land use decisions by distal land owners contribute to algal blooms resulting in a disconnect between critical actors and the place of impact. This negative spatial externality poses a particular obstacle to developing effective policy solutions to reduce the prevalence of algal blooms and mitigate their impact. Researchers and community organizations will co-develop social and environmental practices through application of a theoretical approach grounded in place-based research methods. This project integrates analysis of policy and regulatory documents, archival research, spatial analysis of environmental conditions, participant observation, in-person and online surveys, focus groups, interviews, and sampling and analysis of water quality and bloom severity to inform a predictive model to forecast severity of cyanobacteria blooms. Data from narrative journaling, histomapping, and focus group discussions are used to consider perspectives of diverse stakeholders in developing place-based policy solutions. Through application of a framework grounded in emplacement, this project furthers fundamental development of sustainability as an ongoing dialogue among people and places. In addition to theoretical contributions, empirical research on toxic cyanobacteria blooms will generate novel methodologies with which to examine and address this important environmental problem. A large cohort of undergraduate students will receive training in sustainability science and the development of environmental policy solutions through participation in project workshops, training in data collection protocols and development of public education materials.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.