Bloom
service design aimed in aiding and enabling residents near vulnerable watershed regions to diminish, monitor, and create awareness to algae blooms and its environmental consequences
What is an Algae Bloom?
a rapid accumulation of algae in marine water systems, and is recognized by the discoloration in the water from their pigment
This accumulation of algae comes from added nutrients from manmade activity. As the algae dies and decays it absorbs oxygen from the water leaving less behind for other aquatic organisms to survive off of therefore creating aquatic dead zones
40% of U.S. lakes cannot sustain life
nearly half of all of our country’s lakes have deteriorated in health so drastically that organisms cannot live there due to algae processes
Gulf of Mexico dead zone is 7800 sq. miles
on a global level, eutrophication has accumulated in the Gulf of Mexico to the point of being the 2nd largest dead zone in the world, the size of New Jersey
1.5 months to double Erie’s bloom
during the seasonal algae bloom in Lake Erie, the spread of algae only takes a month and half to grow to double its area and damage double the habitat
Case Study
For the primary research phase, we used a particular body of water that has had a history of dealing with algae blooms as a case study. Lake Macatawa is located in Holland, Michigan with its waterways comprising the region’s full watershed.
Survey
an online survey was designed and sent to a targeted audience of stakeholders closely associated with the lake and watershed
Interviews
face to face interviews were conducted with individuals closely related to the lake via their business, stewardship, and land
Design Solution
To influence stakeholder behavior and awareness, a service to assess land and formulate custom approaches to responsible management through the use of Bloom Kits as user friendly tools and directions. To signify others and work toward a community effort in preserving watershed health, a totem is used to represent one’s involvement.
Vegetation
monitor your land's vegetation as it contributes to buffers, filtration, and nutrient use in relation to nearby water bodies
Land
consider the land and how it filters and affects runoff from harmful chemicals into the body of water nearby
Water
keep track of water quality and levels over time to better educate yourself as well as the rest of the community nearby
Get a Bigger Context
With a community working together to diminish their impact and monitor a body of water, one can get a larger picture of the it’s health through connection. PH balance, water level, and clarity can all be viewed in different areas of a body, as well as over time.
Bloom Kit
Each property is different in how it affects a watershed. To best understand the role of one’s property a package kit containing tools and instructions to assess one’s land is used. This includes collecting a soil sample, measuring coastal land, assessing water clarity and documenting your own land features
Exchange & Analyze
Once the kit is completed it is returned and a watershed professional analyzes the results and creates a custom approach to your property
Return Kit
Reusing the same package, it is returned with new items. The kit is now used for the improvement of one’s property. This is through the use of its items such as particular soil to your land, seeds of native species to help filter water better, a native plant specimen, and a guidebook to document changes seen over time.
by incorporating these new items to one’s land, and addressing the guidebook’s map of the land and areas of improvement for water containment and filtration, the user is given the tools and knowledge to contribute to the watershed’s health
Totem Awareness
the native plant species of choice is used as a totem to create awareness to algae blooms and indicate involvement in the service. The container serves to encapsulate the natural process of water filtration through layers of earth with clean water viewable at the bottom
