Water Institute Co-Hosts Interdisciplinary Water Quality Workshop

Why does water quality vary from place to place, and from time to time? Do we know enough to predict that variation through river networks and across continents? An international group of scientists held a five-day workshop, hosted by Dr. Matt Cohen (Director or UF Water Institute) and Dr. Jim Jawitz (Professor in Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences), to explore these questions. Funded by the National Science Foundation and the Carl S. Swisher Endowment, this workshop titled Continental Scale Determinants of Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Water Quality built interdisciplinary teams led by students to address foundational questions in water quality science. Using new data sets compiling national scale water quality over the last 50 years, they sought to increase our understanding on what controls spatial and temporal patterns of water quality, and how to improve the efficiency of water quality sampling programs.

During the workshop, participants focused on data sources, analysis methods, and data visualizations; they even honed their kayaking skills as the group successfully navigated the Ichetucknee River. The workshop sets the stage for multiple research papers that build new understanding of water quality variation at continental scales, including geologic factors, climatic and network controls, and sampling biases content to monitoring networks. By creating a community of practice among water scholars at different career stages and across countries and disciplines, the workshop was an important step towards building durable global connections and deepening our understanding of patterns that are integral to finding water quality solutions. Be on the lookout for new research papers and presentations sharing findings.

June 10, 2025