High School Students Help Lead Water Quality Research in St. Mary’s River

A project aimed at improving water quality monitoring in the Chesapeake Bay watershed has received a funding boost, allowing students and environmental advocates to continue their work in developing innovative, low-cost technology.

The partnership between the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association and Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center in Leonardtown has built 18 automated buoys, known as Bay Observation Boxes, or BOBs, over the past three years. The initiative is led by Natural Resources Management teacher Dorothy Birch and her students, who have designed, assembled, and deployed the buoys to collect real-time water quality data.

Recently, the project was awarded two grants—one from the Chesapeake Bay Trust to support environmental education and another from the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, also administered through the Chesapeake Bay Trust, to promote innovation in oyster restoration efforts. These grants bring the total funding for the initiative to $45,000, helping to expand the program and refine the technology.

The need for accessible and widespread water quality monitoring has grown as scientists and policymakers work to restore the Chesapeake Bay. The buoys, which rely on microprocessor technology, cost approximately $900 each, a fraction of the $20,000 price tag for commercial monitoring equipment. Every 15 minutes, the BOBs transmit live data to the internet, providing real-time insights into environmental conditions. The data is publicly available through a student-designed website.

Emma Green Ewing, executive director of the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association, emphasized the importance of increasing water quality monitoring in shallow habitats. She cited a recent report from the Chesapeake Bay Program that found existing models do not always align with observed conditions. The BOB project, she said, has the potential to help fill those data gaps and improve understanding of the Bay’s ecosystem.

The buoys have been deployed at various oyster restoration sites as well as educational locations such as Leonardtown Wharf and the Calvert Marine Museum. Birch’s students play an active role in the project, making regular field trips to clean and maintain the devices. Since the program’s launch, the buoys have collected millions of data points on factors such as air temperature, humidity, surface and bottom water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH levels, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, and salinity.

Early results suggest that some of the data collected by the student-built buoys compares favorably with commercial monitoring systems, though challenges remain. Volunteer engineer Norm O’Foran, who helps construct the devices, noted that some sensors perform better than others, particularly galvanic dissolved oxygen sensors in calm water. Another major issue is biofouling, where algae and other marine growth affect sensor accuracy within weeks of deployment.

To address these issues, O’Foran has developed a new version of the buoy, dubbed “BOB 3.0.” This latest design houses the sensors and controllers inside a five-gallon bucket and filters water samples for analysis. The upgraded model is expected to be deployed this spring, with hopes that it will improve sensor reliability and longevity.

The project has also provided students with hands-on experience in environmental science, engineering, and data analysis. Birch’s Natural Resources Management students use the BOBs to study water quality parameters, learn about instrument calibration, and troubleshoot data collection methods. The collaborative nature of the project allows students to engage in real-world problem-solving while contributing to environmental restoration efforts.

Student Chris Moore reflected on the learning experience, recalling a moment when his class struggled to get accurate water quality measurements in an aquarium experiment. The challenge, he said, forced students to work through the problem together, providing an “authentic way to learn.”

The interdisciplinary nature of the project has drawn in other Career and Technology Center programs. Graphic Communications students designed the BOB logo and signage, Digital Media Production students created promotional videos, and students in the engineering program worked on a prototype for a turbidity sensor. Teacher Nathan Swick noted that the opportunity to work on a real-world project has not only developed technical skills but also instilled a sense of ownership and responsibility for environmental conservation.

Student Owen Hodack said the project has been particularly rewarding, both for the knowledge he has gained and the impact on the community. “It’s been amazing to see all these people come together to protect our ecosystem,” he said.

For more information about the project, visit smrwa.org/programs/bobs-project. Donations to support this and other St. Mary’s River Watershed Association initiatives can be made at smrwa.org/donate.