A new agreement with the Engineering School of Westlake University grows the GEMM Network into Asia
HANGZHOU, CHINA-Hangzhou Bay, an inlet of the East China Sea, is a hub of economic activity, including shipping, fishing and tourism. However, the bay has also faced challenges related to pollution, with contaminants such as nitrogen and phosphorus impacting water quality and the health of the regional ecosystems. Westlake University, a leading research institution in China, is monitoring the water quality in this critical region.
Today, on UN World Oceans Day 2023, Westlake joins the Global Environmental Measurement and Monitoring Initiative (GEMM). GEMM, a partnership between Optica (formerly OSA), Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide and the American Geophysical Union (AGU), is a network of scientists, practitioners, and policy stakeholders collaborating on shared issues in the environment and climate.
Through its School of Engineering, Westlake joins this powerful network, which includes universities, research institutions, and environmental monitoring companies. Westlake aims to provide reliable and impactful data on water quality in Hangzhou Bay and to participate in knowledge transfer of best water quality monitoring practices.
Caption: Ling Li,Chair Professor of Environmental Hydrology at Westlake University
Credit: Westlake University
"The ocean-land interface in areas like Hangzhou Bay hosts critical ecosystems that are capable of moderating greenhouse gas emissions and protecting coastal zones from sea level rise," said Ling Li, Chair Professor of Environmental Hydrology at Westlake University. "Our monitoring work in Hangzhou Bay contributes to a better understanding of this specific area and similar ecosystems around the world."
In the Hangzhou Bay ecosystem, Westlake will contribute its expertise in areas such as water quality monitoring, aquatic ecology, and data analysis. Westlake's participation in GEMM will provide an avenue to collaborate with other members and share expertise in the collection and analysis of water samples, monitoring environmental conditions and developing models to better understand the factors that impact water quality globally.
"We are thrilled to welcome Westlake University into the GEMM Initiative network. They will contribute greatly to our ability to understand water quality challenges in rivers, bays and seas that are felt around the world," said P. Scott Carney, Chief Scientist at Optica. "As a research institution committed to tackling global challenges, including environmental sustainability, we believe that Westlake's participation in this network will enable the network to make meaningful contributions these critical issues."
At Westlake's School of Engineering, environmental scientists and engineers combine fundamental research and technological innovation to explore answers to create a sustainable future of the Earth and humanity.
"Global climate challenges and local environmental impacts such as biodiversity loss are intertwined, and solutions require a multi-disciplinary approach. Westlake's partnership with GEMM will help us understand the challenges at play in Hangzhou Bay and extrapolate that to areas facing similar challenges," said Tom Wagner, at Westlake's Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Engineering Laboratory.
Westlake's cutting-edge research will only help further the GEMM Initiative's network and expand the technical expertise that will be needed to begin addressing the world's challenges in protecting our environment and ensuring all people have access to safe and clean water.
