Research

Students and faculty across all three campuses and based in many university departments use the SARC facility for research, or participate in collaborative interdisciplinary research with SARC staff. (Details coming soon!)

Student Research

SARC has hosted more than 20 undergraduate research students since our founding in 2016. Most of our students’ research projects so far have focused on the overall performance of the aquaponics system with respect to plant growth or water quality parameters such as nitrate absorption.

• Comparing Water Quality and Nutrient Concentration between Aquaponics Systems with Differing Filter Media, Waste Removal Methods and Output in Plant Grow Beds – John Cutt
• Preventing basil downy mildew (Peronospora belbahrii) in aquaponics – Gwyn Salguero
• Basil growth in newly renovated and original grow beds — Angel Shumake and Dominic Gonzalez
• Basil growth in runways with / without air circulation – Sakile Johnson
• Arugula growth in runways with/ without air circulation – Olivia Roddenberry
• Lettuce growth in runways with/without air circulation – Jamielee Korolovich-Adams
• Integration of Australian Redclaw Crayfish into plant runways – Kirstyn Cardwell
• Construction and monitoring of a fry growout system – Chris Lee
• Alternative diets for Redclaw Crayfish – Nicholas Everhard

In Spring 2020, the College of Undergraduate Research hosted a virtual student symposium, including one of our Honors Thesis students, John Cutt! You can see his presentation with the other COSM Honors Theses here, and hear more about the online COUR symposium from President Marerro on the main page. Even more of our SARC students have research posters on the COSM webpage, including Dominic Gonzales.

Biology Department

Biology faculty research that has been facilitated through SARC also includes more wide-ranging projects, such as the current establishment of a wetland for Heather Joesting’s research: Nursery production of Spartina alterniflora in a constructed wetland for aquaculture wastewater remediation. This project aims to establish baseline parameters for producing local S. alterniflora seedlings for marshland restoration along the Georgia coast.

Collaborations

Collaborative interdisciplinary research is common at SARC, particularly with the departments of Engineering, Information Technology, and Chemistry and Biochemistry. SARC has an ongoing collaboration with Eagle Dining Services, a partnership that focuses on supplying locally grown healthy eating choices to our students.

Community collaborations have also included veterans’ education, curriculum development, and system design for new species.

Last updated: 6/7/2021