In the heart of Kashubia, on the route of the Radunskie Lakes circle, is Borucino, where the UG Centre for Monitoring and Protection of Waters operates. We talked to dr Monika Sobiechowska-Sasim about the research conducted there
Upon entering the recently renovated building, we were enchanted by the view that greeted us outside the window. In addition to offices, there are well-equipped lecture and conference rooms, a kitchen and guest rooms in the Centre. Everything is prepared so that scientists can carry out research, not only in the field of water quality. The site is used for scientific work, specialised training, networking meetings, and the exchange of scientific ideas.
Education is just as important at the station as conducting research. Every year, students from the Faculty of Oceanography and Geography at the University of Gdańsk, as well as students from the Gdańsk University of Technology, come here for practical training. Educational classes on meteorology and water protection are organised for primary and secondary school pupils.
One of the main tasks of the station is carried out in long-term cooperation with the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management - National Research Institute and consists of collecting meteorological data. The data are collected continuously thanks to an extensive meteorological garden, located next to the CMiOW building, the measuring tower and the floating measuring station located on the lake. ‘There are only four such surface rafts in operation in our country. Currently, the measuring equipment on the raft is largely automated, except for the evaporimeter. Both we and IMGW-PIB are very keen to maintain the continuity of these measurements, especially as the platform has been in continuous use for 40 years. On the raft, in addition to the evaporometer, there are thermometers: dry, maximum, minimum and wet, two rain gauges and a wind gauge,’ says dr Monika Sobiechowska-Sasim. Once a day, at a fixed time, station staff go up to the station by boat to measure how much water is evaporating and to take temperature and precipitation measurements, which are collated with the automatic ones. Measurements are taken from May until the end of October.
Another important activity (carried out in cooperation with the Gdansk-based start-up Mobile Monitoring) is the monitoring, via a special buoy placed in the lake, of chlorophyll levels, which allows, among other things, the early detection of blue-green algae blooms. This innovative monitoring solution makes it possible to warn tourists and residents in advance against using the bathing waters of a particular body of water.
Testing the purity of water in Kashubian lakes is also very important because of the many tourists visiting the area. ‘A major problem in the region is leaking sewage tanks, which seep into the groundwater and then into the lake. These are mainly nitrates and phosphates, which contribute to the fertilisation of the waters, resulting in more frequent and intense phytoplankton blooms, including blue-green algae. The problem often lies in a lack of awareness on the part of residents and tourists, and we are making every effort to change this,' adds dr Monika Sobiechowska-Sasim.
Volunteering for the lakes
The Citizen Science initiative - Volunteering for Lakes - is a volunteer lake monitoring programme funded by the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Gdańsk in cooperation with the University of Gdańsk Development Foundation. It consists of involving citizens in a campaign to take water samples from water bodies of their choice. Residents who care about water protection can join the group of volunteers gathered around the Centre and help monitor water levels. Volunteers, after being trained, are able to take water samples and make a general inspection of water quality and transparency. Samples from the lakes are analysed in the CMiW laboratory. In this way, we can determine water quality parameters for many lakes. This year saw the first edition of Volunteers for the Lakes, with the second edition starting in the spring. Thanks to the people involved in this project, a total of 16 lakes (mainly Kashubian lakes) will be covered, and this is just the beginning!
The University of Gdańsk's Centre for Monitoring and Protection of Waters is an important educational and research facility located outside the Tricity campuses. Its staff carry out important research in the field of freshwater quality, while at the same time providing education for students, young people, tourists and residents of Kashubia. It is also worth a look here in the autumn and to take part in a citizen science initiative. Let's protect our waters together!
