GSO Ph.D. student Katherine Thompson Awarded TNC Grant for Water Quality Research

April 11, 2024
(Left to Right) Veronica M. Berounsky, Ph.D. ’90, (GSO alumni relations and communications coordinator, co-president of the Narrow River Preservation Association and chair of the Rhode Island Rivers Council); Kris Lewis, GSO assistant professor of oceanography; Katherine Thompson, GSO Ph.D. student.

URI Graduate School of Oceanography student Katherine Thompson has been selected as the recipient of The Nature Conservancy’s Global Marine Initiative URI student research program grant for 2024. 

Thompson’s project, conducted in collaboration with the Narrow River Preservation Association (NRPA), aims to assess the effectiveness of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) in improving water quality in the Narrow River. Thompson is a member of The Lewis Lab of Applied Coastal Ecology at GSO, studying under professor Kris Lewis. 

Water quality is a vital indicator for the health of our ecosystems and their ability to adapt to a changing climate. While implementation of best management practices (BMPs) in other water systems has demonstrated a reduced level of detectable fecal coliform, no formal analysis has been applied to efficacy of BMPs on the Narrow River.

With support from the grant, Thompson will analyze geospatial data of water quality in the Narrow River over the past three decades. Thompson also plans to use GIS technology to generate figures that will enhance public accessibility to the data. By illustrating the significance of BMPs and their role in preserving the Narrow River, Thompson hopes to educate the public about the importance of individual actions, such as fertilizer usage, that can adversely impact the river.

Overall, Thompon’s research emphasizes the importance of long-term monitoring to understand how human activities impact aquatic ecosystems.

About Narrow River Preservation Association (NRPA):

The Narrow River Preservation Association (NRPA) has been working since 1970 to engage people to preserve and protect the Narrow River (Pettaquamscutt Estuary) and its watershed. In 2006, NRPA underwent the process of the Rhode Island Rivers Council to become the State-Designated Watershed Council for Narrow River and has served as such ever since.