CHAIR
Dr. Toni Froelich
SPEAKERS
Prof. Dr. Kristy Deiner
MONITORING CHALLENGES
The Value of Citizen Science Networks and Artistic Interpretations.
environmental-dna.ethz.ch
www.simplexdna.com
Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Grossart
URBANIZATION CHALLENGES
The Unexpected health consequences of urbanization in Freshwater
Prof. Dr. Jill Scott
COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES
Worried Wings in Progress: A wake-up call for Water Biodiversity
Expanding human populace, deforestation and climate change worsen the negative impacts on freshwater environments and species health. Subsequently, the biodiversity of freshwater is changing at a disturbing rate.
How can we combine the disciplines of art and science, to engage the public more actively? We propose a dynamic event. It would start with small introductions by three speakers, on the monitoring, urbanization and communication challenges that face water quality analysis, followed by a unique method of discussion called: The fishbowl. (see more information below). Through this informative, interactive and dynamic method, we hope find friends who wish to be locally engaged in cleaning fresh water. This method includes a bar game for the audience with tap, modified and filtered water to monitor the difference. In relation to the monitoring water biodiversity, a citizen science network of environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring has now been scaled up to a global level (DIENER).
This collaboration with people can create a biodiversity data layer for the world! Artistic interpretations like the sonification of this data, can help people emotionally connect to eDNA evidence. Right now, we face a series of urbanization issues that challenge us to be creative about the improvement of this environment and thus human health. By interacting with architects, policy makers, environmentalists and designers, we can try to improve healthy waters in urban areas like Berlin and its surroundings. (GROSSART) Communication is also a challenge!
What kinds of art and environmental science collaborations foster more post reflective and lateral ways of thinking and produce unusual interpretations of scientific results about biodiversity data for the public? (SCOTT-Worried Wings). Today, freshwater needs transdisciplinary teams to focus on its biodiversity and its restoration. Pollution and nanomaterials endanger its species, glacial melt degrades its nutrients, and its species are becoming extinct. Let’s discuss how these collaborative actors might transform the ecology and stop the biodiverse system leaking resources beyond its own boundaries to contaminate our drinking water.