Extended Sessions

We are excited to offer a variety of workshops and panel discussions throughout the conference! Please note that, while available at no additional charge, workshops require pre-registration to help organizers with their planning. Registration links are available below each workshop description.

WORKSHOP: Harmful and Nuisance Algae Assessment and Ecology

Monday, April 24th // 1:30-5:00pm
Pre-registration required. Register by April 14, 2023.

Algae are an important part of a properly functioning natural aquatic system, but when algae become abundant, water uses and habitat are often impaired. Recent apparent increases in toxic and other nuisance algae make understanding algal groups, impacts, and ecology even more important. This workshop is intended to provide information on how to collect and recognize common algae within potentially problematic groups and to enhance understanding of how the associated problem growths develop. The workshop will include lectures by Dr. Ken Wagner, Dr. Barry Rosen, and Dr. Andrew Chapman, experienced algal taxonomists and ecologists working in applied fields. Topics will include:

• Methods for algae collection and identification
• Cyanobacteria taxonomy
• Cyanobacteria and their toxins
• Non-cyanobacteria algal taxonomy and associated problems
• Algal ecology

Presenters
Ken Wagner, Water Resource Services
Barry Rosen, Florida Gulf Coast University
Andrew Chapman, GreenWater Laboratories

WORKSHOP: dataRetrieval Tutorial 1 – Using R to Discover and Obtain Water Data

Tuesday, April 25th // 1:30-3:00pm
Pre-registration required. Register by April 14, 2023.

The dataRetrieval package was created to simplify the process of loading hydrologic data into the R environment. It is designed to retrieve U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Water Quality Portal (WQP) water data including water-quality sample data, streamflow data, and metadata. In this workshop, we will demonstrate several techniques for discovering and downloading water-quality data in R. The focus will be to obtain discrete water-quality data from the Water Quality Portal. We will step through many common workflows that exist in dataRetrieval. Participants will begin by loading data into R based on site and parameter information. We will then walk through the process of discovering what data exist. Simple data processing and plotting will be introduced throughout the course. Data exploration techniques such as summarizing and plotting will be introduced. This workshop is geared towards participants who have a basic understanding of R but have not used the dataRetrieval package. 

Participants are encouraged to bring their own computer with R, R-Studio, and dataRetrieval installed. Specific installation instructions are provided here: https://rconnect.usgs.gov/dataRetrieval/#installation

Presenters

Laura DeCicco, U.S. Geological Survey
Lee Stanish, U.S. Geological Survey
Aliesha Krall, U.S. Geological Survey 

WORKSHOP ES dataRetrieval Tutorial 2 – dataRetrieval Techniques and Applications

Tuesday, April 25th // 3:30-5:00pm
Pre-registration required. Register by April 14, 2023.

This workshop will explore more advanced techniques in R using the dataRetrieval package. We will discuss ways to create a robust data pipeline for large-scale data requests. We will introduce ways to join U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow discharge data with discrete water-quality data from the Water Quality Portal. Common exploration techniques such as plotting and creating data summaries will be demonstrated. 

The workshop will also include an introduction to several applications that take advantage of the dataRetrieval packages for surface water and groundwater data. Exploration and Graphics for RivEr Trends (EGRET) is an R-package for the analysis of long-term changes in water quality and streamflow, including the water-quality method Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season. The Hydrologic Analysis Package (HASP) can retrieve groundwater level and groundwater quality data, aggregate these data, plot them, and generate basic statistics. wqReports is an R-package designed to create water-quality reports for either U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife refuge boundaries, or user-specified hydrologic unit code boundaries. These applications along with others demonstrate some of the power of using dataRetrieval as a foundation for customized water-quality applications. The workshop will conclude with participants creating a reusable custom report on water-quality for sites, constituents, and time periods of their own design. 

Participants are encouraged to bring their own computer with R, R-Studio, and dataRetrieval installed. Specific installation instructions are provided here: https://rconnect.usgs.gov/dataRetrieval/#installation 

Presenters

Laura DeCicco, U.S. Geological Survey
Lee Stanish, U.S. Geological Survey
Aliesha Krall, U.S. Geological Survey 

WORKSHOP: Applying Best Practices and Lessons Learned to Broaden Participations in Volunteer Monitoring Efforts

Wednesday, April 26th // 8:30-10:00am
Pre-registration required. Register by April 14, 2023.

Participation in volunteer monitoring and other types of citizen, community, and participatory science initiatives is often dominated by older, well-educated, mid-upper class, white participants. Yet, broadening participation in these programs to reach a more diverse audience is critically important. More inclusive participation in volunteer water monitoring programs has the potential to enable a wider breadth of environmental concerns to be identified and addressed, improving conditions for those who face disparate environmental impacts. Broader participation also affords the opportunity to augment watershed knowledge learning among a wider spectrum of the public and for individuals to build relationships with places, leading to enhanced environmental stewardship over time. This interactive workshop will begin with sharing best practices and lessons learned from a recent survey of water resources-focused volunteer monitoring programs to identify challenges faced in broadening diversity of participation as well as successes in doing so and a literature review about diversity of participation across the field of public engagement in scientific research. Participants will share challenges they have faced and successes they have achieved to diversify participation through interactive tools and conversation, allowing for problem sharing and solution identification among participants. A case study will highlight challenges and successes of diversifying participation. In the second half of the 90-minute workshop, facilitators will guide participants to work on their own and in small groups to follow a framework defined by the planning team based on research results. This framework will incorporate best practices for diversifying participation. Using a “think, pair, share” model, participants will collaborate on ideas and potential challenges they foresee in attempts to expand diversity of participation in their programs. Each participant will leave the workshop with a plan and timeline to increase diversity of participation in their volunteer monitoring program. 

Participants should make a list, prior to attendance, of challenges they are facing and/or questions they have regarding DEIJA efforts in their programs. This will prep them for the discussion and allow for more time spent on the solution/action brainstorming rather than thinking of their challenges. 

Presenters 

Lori Sprague, U. S. Geological Survey
Bryan Rabon, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control
Jane Caffrey, University of West Florida, Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation
Roger Stewart, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

WORKSHOP: National Aquatic Resource Surveys – Assessing and Using Data from the Coastal, Lakes, Rivers/Stream, and Wetland Surveys

Wednesday, April 26th // 10:30-12:00pm
Pre-registration required. Register by April 14, 2023.

The National Aquatic Resource Surveys are statistical surveys implemented as an EPA/State/Tribal partnership providing co-located chemical, physical, and biological data for waters across the U.S. These surveys provide a point in time assessment of the condition, identify the extent of stressors, and track changes over time. The surveys, implemented on a five-year rotating basis, include coastal waters, lakes and reservoirs, rivers and streams, and wetlands. For each survey, EPA selects sampling locations using a statistical survey design and crews use consistent methods to collect data at more than 1,000 sites during a summer index period. There are now more than 20 years of chemical, physical and biological data available. Example data include benthic macroinvertebrates, fish, vegetation, zooplankton, nutrient concentrations, sediment chemistry, soil chemistry, physical habitat measurements, microcystin concentrations, and others. These datasets provide an unparalleled opportunity to conduct scientific research on issues of national importance, analyze patterns and associations among co-located variables, and explore innovative approaches to improve assessments of water quality. 

This workshop will showcase the data that are available from the national surveys, how to access them and how to work with the files to prepare for analysis of data across different datasets. Examples of accessing and using data will be provided for attendees at different scales including national, ecoregional, state, local, etc. The workshop will provide examples of how data from the surveys have been used to address important water quality questions. Participants will take part in discussions on how to improve accessibility of datasets for future use. Finally, the co-chairs anticipate that during the workshop participants with their own computers will be able to download data and request assistance in the initial process of preparing for their own analyses. 

Attendee Preparation: View the NARS data webpage at https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/data-national-aquatic-resource-surveys and other background information on NARS at https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys 

Presenters 

Donny Benkendorf, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ORISE)
Sarah Lehmann, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Gregg Serenbetz, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Garrett Stillings, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

WORKSHOP: Survey Design and Analysis for Aquatic Resources in R

Wednesday, April 26th // 2:00-3:30pm
Pre-registration required. Register by April 14, 2023.

This workshop will teach users how to create a probabilistic survey design and analyze the resulting data using the R package spsurvey. This package was developed specifically for this purpose and implements the Generalized Random Tessellation Stratified (GRTS) algorithm used to create designs for the National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS). This package also can be used to analyze data generated using these designs to estimate population-level characteristics with a known level of uncertainty. The workshop will also cover two R Shiny apps that provide a user-friendly interface that runs package functions to create designs and analyze data following the NARS approach. Participants will have the opportunity to run code in R and/or using the Shiny apps on their laptops and ask the developers of the package and R Shiny apps any questions that come up.If planning to run R code, make sure to download the most recent version of spsurvey before attending the workshop. The most recent version of spsurvey can be downloaded by running install.packages(“spsurvey”) in R. 

Attendees would need to supply their own laptop with RStudio and R (> v. 4.0) installed, as well as spsurvey (v. 5.1 or later). We would provide a list of other required packages and access to the GitHub repositories where code is for Shiny apps is available for download. Some experience with R is helpful but not necessary. 

Presenters 

Karen Blockson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD-CPHEA-PESD
Michael Dumelle, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD-CPHEA-PESD
Garrett Stillings, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OW-OWOW-WRAPD-MAB 

WORKSHOP: Screening for Biological Relevance of Environmental Chemistry Data Using the toxEval and ToxMixtures software packages

Wednesday, April 26th // 4:00-5:30pm
Pre-registration required. Register by April 14, 2023.

This workshop is intended to provide an efficient method to evaluate potential adverse biological impacts using analysis of environmental chemistry data. The toxEval R-package includes a set of functions to analyze, visualize, and organize measured environmental concentration data as they relate to ToxCast or other user-selected chemical-biological interaction benchmark data such as water quality criteria. The intent of these analyses is to provide context for potential biological relevance of environmental chemistry data. Results can be used to prioritize which chemicals at which sites may be of greatest concern. These methods are meant to be used as a screening technique to predict potential for biological influence from chemicals that ultimately need to be validated with direct biological assays. 

ToxMixtures is another R-package that combines outputs from toxEval with open access sources on molecular biology to provide additional information on potential biological effects of chemicals and chemical mixtures detected in environmental matrices. Data on chemical potency and environmental relevance from multiple online data sources are combined with environmental chemistry datasets to identify potential biological effects associated with chemical mixtures assuming additivity for chemicals with common biological pathways. 

The workshop will include the following components: 

• An introduction to bioeffect evaluation concepts included in toxEval 
• Formatting chemistry and site data for input into toxEval 
• Conducting an analysis using ToxCast as the bioeffect database 
• Conducting an analysis using custom benchmarks with toxEval 
• An introduction to the ToxMixtures package 

Participants are encouraged to bring their own computer with R, R-Studio, and toxEval and ToxMixtures installed. Specific installation instructions are provided here: https://rconnect.usgs.gov/toxEval_docs/#installation-of-r-and-rstudio 

Presenters 

Laura DeCicco, U.S. Geological Survey
Steve Corsi, U.S. Geological Survey 

WORKSHOP: Engaging Volunteers in the Data Interpretation Process – Best Practices & Lessons Learned

Thursday, April 27th // 8:30-10:00am
Pre-registration required. Register by April 14, 2023.

The engagement of volunteer scientists in understanding environmental health and using data at local, state, and regional levels has numerous benefits. These programs benefit from systems of technical support within the scientific process of monitoring, including study design, standard operating procedures development, methodology training, quality assurance, and data storage. A key step within this process is facilitated data interpretation. 

Not only do volunteers add spatial and temporal variation to data collection efforts, but they also become local experts of their sites and can provide valuable insights about their data. Many datacollectorsvisit sites routinely and can track changes that data alone might not reveal, including land use changes andenvironmentalappearance. When volunteers participate in facilitated investigations of their own data, they identify stories hidden behind the trends and develop the confidence to share thesedatanarratives with diverse stakeholders. This increases the volunteer buy-into the program, but also ownership over their data and impact they can have on local waterways. 

This session aims to provide a collaborative space to share about different approaches to data interpretation in volunteer and community-based monitoring programs.Participants will explorebest practices when engaging communities with data, methods for establishing technical background, effective and efficient data visualization strategies, challenges, and success stories. 

Presenters 

Stephanie Letourneau, Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring at Dickinson College
Phoebe Galione, Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring at Dickinson College 

WORKSHOP: CUAHSI Tools and Infrastructure for FAIR data

Thursday, April 27th // 10:30-12:00pm
Pre-registration required. Register by April 14, 2023.

CUAHSI proposes an extended session workshop that will give users an overview of the tools resources available through CUAHSI and CUAHSI’s data services. These tools allow users to store, share, and publish data with a DOI, and use integrated visualization tools to analyze and showcase data while also increasing data discoverability.  

The workshop will include a demo of CUAHSI’s key data infrastructure, with an emphasis on storing and sharing timeseries data. CUAHSI infrastructure to be covered will include: 

• HydroShare 
• Hydrologic Information Systems (HIS) 
• CUAHSI apps such as Jupyterhub, MATLAB Online, and the Timeseries Data Viewer 

The session will step through a hands-on demo of the use of each of these tools to achieve FAIR data standards.  

HydroShare is a file type agnostic data repository that allows users to store, share, collaborate on, and publish data with a DOI. Users are allocated 20 GB of storage and may have more upon request. 

HIS is a time series specific repository that will have undergone a modernization by the date of this workshop.  

CUAHSI apps and compute tools are free for use by the community with a HydroShare account, which is also free of charge. Apps allow users to operate on data, create reusable workflows, and illustrate to others how their data can be used, and recreate workflows for others to increase reusability of data and reproducibility of findings. 

Presenters 

Clara Cogswell, CUAHSI 

WORKSHOP: Algae and Cyanobacteria Blooms – Track, Identify, and Predict (1)

Thursday, April 27th // 2:00-3:30pm
Pre-registration required. Register by April 14, 2023.

Cyanobacteria have the potential to produce harmful toxins which can cause adverse health effects in humans and animals. Monitoring tools are needed to assess environmental conditions and stop blooms in their nascent stages. This workshop will provide a comprehensive introduction to algae HAB monitoring, from the reservoir to the lab. Participants will gain practical skills in the use of online multi-parameter systems, microscopic identification, and data collection and visualization. The workshop will begin with introductions and a brief PowerPoint overview of each of the technologies. Next, we’ll turn to the instruments and run samples furnished by workshop attendees. 

Three samples will be selected to illustrate the implications of variables like sampling methodology, preservation, location, and settings on FlowCam imagery and data. For each sample, we’ll highlight a different FlowCam theme and use image recognition to identify dominant organisms. Each sample will be discussed as a group, with participants encouraged to ask questions and converse regarding the technology’s benefits and limitations. Throughout the workshop, we’ll point out similarities and differences between flow-through imaging and traditional microscopy, as well as basic plankton identification using semi-automated techniques. 

Samples of cyanobacteria in various concentrations will be analyzed to illustrate the hardware and software of the AlgaeTracker. Participants will learn how to calibrate field data to lab results and verify the accuracy of live readings obtained from samples. Throughout the workshop, attention will be given to potential challenges of fluorescence-based readings, with discussion focusing on potential and actual solutions. Tips for easy field deployment, maintenance, and data sharing will be discussed with group participation encouraged. 

We’ll conclude by summarizing takeaways from the workshop and, if time allows, play an interactive game incorporating FlowCam and AlgaeTracker images and data to test participants’ knowledge. 

Presenters 

Polly Barrowman, Yokogawa Fluid Imaging Technologies
Chris Lee, Aqua Real Time
Greg Ford, Phytoxigene 

WORKSHOP: Algae and Cyanobacteria Blooms – Track, Identify, and Predict (2)

Thursday, April 27th // 4:00-5:30pm
Pre-registration required. Register by April 14, 2023.

Cyanobacteria have the potential to produce harmful toxins which can cause adverse health effects in humans and animals. Monitoring tools are needed to assess environmental conditions and stop blooms in their nascent stages. This workshop will provide a comprehensive introduction to algae HAB monitoring, from the reservoir to the lab. Participants will gain practical skills in the use of online multi-parameter systems, microscopic identification, and data collection and visualization. The workshop will begin with introductions and a brief PowerPoint overview of each of the technologies. Next, we’ll turn to the instruments and run samples furnished by workshop attendees. 

Three samples will be selected to illustrate the implications of variables like sampling methodology, preservation, location, and settings on FlowCam imagery and data. For each sample, we’ll highlight a different FlowCam theme and use image recognition to identify dominant organisms. Each sample will be discussed as a group, with participants encouraged to ask questions and converse regarding the technology’s benefits and limitations. Throughout the workshop, we’ll point out similarities and differences between flow-through imaging and traditional microscopy, as well as basic plankton identification using semi-automated techniques. 

Samples of cyanobacteria in various concentrations will be analyzed to illustrate the hardware and software of the AlgaeTracker. Participants will learn how to calibrate field data to lab results and verify the accuracy of live readings obtained from samples. Throughout the workshop, attention will be given to potential challenges of fluorescence-based readings, with discussion focusing on potential and actual solutions. Tips for easy field deployment, maintenance, and data sharing will be discussed with group participation encouraged. 

We’ll conclude by summarizing takeaways from the workshop and, if time allows, play an interactive game incorporating FlowCam and AlgaeTracker images and data to test participants’ knowledge. 

Presenters 

Polly Barrowman, Yokogawa Fluid Imaging Technologies
Chris Lee, Aqua Real Time
Greg Ford, Phytoxigene