Checking In with @waterkeepermark and Alysse Mathalon from Lake Ontario Waterkeeper
For the Checking In series, Mark Mattson speaks with Alysse Mathalon from Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and Swim Drink Fish. As the Water Quality Monitoring Hub Coordinator, Alysse ensures the Toronto Water Monitoring Hub is routinely sampling Toronto’s waterfront, analyzing the water samples, and sharing the water quality data with you on Swim Guide.
MM: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your watershed.
AM: I am the Water Quality Monitoring Hub Coordinator for Swim Drink Fish in Toronto. My passion for water developed when I studied marine biology and oceanography at Dalhousie University. Through studying marine sciences I became aware of the massive impacts that humans have on the oceans and freshwater. The aquatic research that emerges from universities is both high quality and relevant for aquatic industries, yet it is not being applied as best as it could be. I decided that I wanted to work for a cause that would help apply scientific research to improve the state of our waters.
I'm currently living in the Don River Watershed in Toronto. The Don river flows through the city, and I often see it on trails that I walk on, like the Beltline.
MM: How connected is your community to the water?
AM: I think my community is connected to water, however I believe that many people are not completely aware of just how connected they are to Lake Ontario. As Krystyn Tully put it, if you are living in Toronto, your body is made up of 60% Lake Ontario by weight. I feel that many people love water, but they connect with it in more exotic places, like when they are on vacation, or in more northern parts of Ontario. At the same time, there are so many Torontonians who visit beaches on Lake Ontario. They use Swim Guide as their source of water quality information to keep themselves and their families safe. Every person is intrinsically connected to water to survive, and I feel awareness of this could be strengthened in order to protect our waters.
MM: What is the role of water quality testing in your work? How do you share results publicly?
AM: Water quality testing plays a major role in my work, as I monitor the health of the waters in the Toronto Inner Harbour as well as at Ontario Place West Island Beach. I monitor water quality weekly, and each time I go out I usually speak with at least one or two people who are by the water and are curious about the water quality. Being at the water and speaking to people directly helps build relationships with the community. I also let them know about the Swim Guide, where they can check water quality for Toronto waterfront locations as well as almost 8,000 beaches throughout the world.
I share the results publicly on Swim Drink Fish’s open data platform, as well as with a greater public audience on the Swim Guide. The Swim Guide is a free website and app where people can access water quality information for thousands of beaches throughout the world. People find Swim Guide very helpful because instead of having to dig through many websites to find water quality information at the beach they are going to, they can go to Swim Guide and find their answer easily there.
MM: Has the health pandemic affected your work? How?
AM: Yes it has, in that we are unable to engage with groups of volunteer citizen scientists to monitor water quality at the Toronto Harbour as in previous years. That said, we are still working with some incredible volunteers on the Toronto Islands and Humber Bay Park West. All of the water monitoring training is being done virtually. Toronto beaches are proving to be very important at this time, since people are seeking places to enjoy the outdoors. It has been very rewarding monitoring water quality at Ontario Place in particular, where many people use the water and beach for recreation. People have approached me and asked what I'm doing, and they're very grateful to know that I am monitoring water quality.
MM: If you were a fish, what would it be?
AM: If I were a fish, I would be a bluefin tuna. They are the second fastest fish in the ocean, and the chance of survival of an egg to adulthood is one in a million! Therefore, I would be a survivor and I would also be at the top of the ocean food chain.
MM: Is there a role for citizen science in your watershed?
AM: There is a role for citizen science in the Don River watershed. The most simple and effective science that citizens can take part in is documenting what they see. Citizens can document pollution, bird species, spills in the river, and really anything people are interested in knowing. It is usually the people who spend time by the water who are the first to identify environmental issues or natural occurrences the fastest. Therefore there is absolutely a role for citizen science in this watershed.
Read more from the Checking In with @waterkeepermark series here.
Connect with us on Twitter, @LOWaterkeeper and @waterkeepermark.
