Healthy Harbour Watchers starts for the year

HHW is a community-based water monitoring program based in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Otago.

Saturday morning was their first official sampling day. They took water samples from three sites on the Port Chalmers side of the Harbour and then headed back to work in the Mellor Building with Otago University. In the field, they learned how to take visual observations and measurements on water quality, temperature, and salinity and recorded wind, cloud, and temperature measurements with time to appreciate the wildlife around them. The students were then instructed on how to carry out various chemical tests including pH, turbidity, phosphate and salinity levels, and bacterial counts. 

 A wonderful learning experience of a real citizen science project operating in our local area.