MarissaCuevasFlorescreatedthecompany microTERRA.
Q:Let’stalkaboutenvironmentalscientists.Whydidyouchoosetobecome one?
A:Therearetwokindsofenvironmentalscientists.Bothkindsstudytheenvironmenttolearnhowitbehaves.Theyalsolearnhowpeople affect it.Thefirstkindstudyandobserve.Thesecondkindtrytofixthedamagepeopledo.Iamthesecondkind.ItrytofixtheproblemsI see.
Q:Whatenvironmentalproblemdidyouwantto solve?
A:Waterpollution.Mostofourfreshwaterisusedforfarming.Butmanyfarmsusechemicalstocutdownonweedsandpests.Waterrunofffromthesefarmscancausepollution.Thiswastewatercancausedead zones.
FASTFACT:
Eachyear,millionsoftonsofchemicalsareusedworldwideonourcrops.Someofitgetswashedintoour waterways.
Q:Whatisadead zone?
A:A deadzoneisanareainariver,lake,oroceanthathaslowoxygenlevels.Livingthingsneedoxygen.So,fewthingscanliveintheseplaces.Onethingthatcanaremicroalgae. Theygiveoffoxygen.Theytakeinchemicalsfrom wastewater.
algaeasseenundera microscope
algaeinthe water
Q:How willyoutackle this?
A:Ifoundawaytoupcyclewastewaterandmakeitreusable.Microalgaecanbeusedtocleanpollutedwaterinfish farms.
Fishfarmsareasourceofwater pollution.
Locationand Size
(insquare kilometers)
size unknown
1 km2
10 km2
100 km2
1,000km2
10,000 km2
Therearemorethan500deadzones worldwide.