By John Roberts
Georgia Southern University's Sustainable Aquaponics Research Center has continued to research and serve the community following the changes that have impacted all of society from COVID-19.
The research center on the Armstrong campus is an outdoor facility conducting research on the process of aquaponics, as well as selling and donating food from their work to people and places in the surrounding area.
The facility contains four individual systems, each with 900-gallon tanks, holding around 100 mature tilapia, and 224 square foot runways for the plants.
The method mixes aquaculture and hydronics to create a complementary relationship where the water that the fish are raised in takes the excrement of the fish, provides nutrients for the plants being grown in water, and the water that plants are growing in recirculates back to clean the water that the fish are in.
Brigette Brinton, curator at the research center, handles maintenance and training for the facility, and was one of the essential personnel that remained on campus when classes were moved online during the spring.
COVID-19 moving forward brought precautionary measures to SARC with limited people in the lab and greenhouse, masks and social distance when harvesting, and delivery options for the marketplace.
Brinton said the facility's maintenance process did not change much with the pandemic, as the building was subject to all of the food safety restrictions, tests, and requirements that would keep the place properly sanitized.
These safety precautions allowed SARC to still contribute produce to the community. One of these donations included large quantities of lettuce and swiss chard to local businesses Spudnik Cafe and Pounce Cat Cafe, who provide lunches to those in need around Forsyth Park in Savannah.
DeVon Kind, Spudnik Cafe customer and Savannah resident, said that its been special to able to see the impact of this research.
"It's one thing to hear about a study and the impact its intended to make, but it's beautiful when people from all walks in the community are impacted by either experiencing or witnessing the work of this research at the school,” Kind said.
Research itself has slowly continued through the 2020-2021 school year with fewer students on campus, and most staff focusing on completing projects rather than beginning new ones.
"I've kept busy, even with the decreased research time since the pandemic began, since fish need to eat, and plants keep growing everyday," said Brinton.
SARC itself acts as a research center, a produce marketplace, an outlet for community service, and a place made for hands-on learning.
Eboni Jackson, a senior biology major at Georgia Southern, said, “It's actually really encouraging to know that the very information I am learning in class is being used to reshape our society into one that is more effectively sustained.”
Jackson said that the impact and information coming from research centers like SARC show the importance of the educating more than just the people who are graduating with the degree, but for everyone to know.
COVID-19 gave SARC less opportunities for community outreach over the fall semester. Public schools in Savannah were prohibited from taking field trips, and STEM events were less frequent.
Brinton said that they would usually attend many more STEM events, and would have at least 1-2 field trips each semester.
The pandemic has not stopped the growing process of SARC, with a fish hatchery and experimental facility being built beside the greenhouse, and a small marsh that is exploring working with marsh plants for wetland restoration efforts.
The long-term goal for SARC is to create an economically sustainable method that allows aquaponics to expand to provide food in urban areas and third world countries.
"We keep feeding people, we keep each other safe, and we continue making progress," said Brinton.