The team discovered that the surge in acidity is caused by the absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) from activities such as fossil fuel combustion, leading to a decrease in lake and ocean waters’ potential hydrogen (pH) levels.

The Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab and TBNMS requested that UR2 leverage their marine technology expertise to create a sampler that can fit a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV).

“Our initial approach involved using a Niskin bottle to take water samples attached to the ROV,” a summary of the project, called WARP (Water Acidification Research Project), explains. “Once the ROV reached the designated depth and location, the Niskin bottle was released using the ROV’s grabber. Although this method worked reasonably well, the research protocol stipulated that the water sample had to be sealed at depth and shielded from exposure to surface air.”

Lydia Thomson is the CEO of UR2. Taylor Widajewski is the chief design officer for UR2.

Courtesy Image This graphic designed by Taylor Widajewski shows the process of acidification.

“This project is cool because we’re getting the newer generation involved,” said Thomson. “Our main goal is just to get awareness out there.”

She said acidification research in the Great Lakes has just started in the past few years, and WARP has been collecting data and mapping acidification research sites worldwide.

“We actually have test sites on every continent, now, which is really cool,” Thomson said. “We’re working with the Viking cruise line that comes up here, and they’re sampling for us in Antarctica, and we’re working with teams in China and Scotland, and we’re all working together to create a project.”

Thomson said several high school science teachers and administrators have helped the students with this project.

“While the Niskin bottle served as a starting point, we needed to develop a sampler that can be sealed at depth, brought to the surface, detached from the ROV, and sent to GLERL for further analysis,” the WARP summary states. “Our second solution is to design an ROV with a built-in sampler or develop a mechanical manipulator to cap a sample underwater. Our goal is to develop a prototype by the Spring of 2025 to be used in the next research cycle.”

The team regrouped after an initial setback and is now developing an innovative solution.

“Our next attempt is to develop an ROV equipped with dual arms for handling and capping vials,” the WARP summary states. “The new design incorporates two lateral arms; one will hold the vial while the other caps it. To achieve vertical movement, a gear system attached to a waterproof servo will be created. Each arm will have a specialized claw mechanism powered by a waterproof servo.”

A servo is a rotary or linear actuator that allows for precise control of angular or linear position, velocity, and acceleration in a mechanical system.

UR2 participated in the MATE ROV World Championship in the summer of 2024, where they networked with several companies worldwide. This year’s MATE ROV World Championship will be held June 19 to 21 in Alpena.

“During this event, we discussed ROV technology and water acidification,” the WARP summary notes. “We discovered a wide range of awareness and impacts among teams — some were significantly affected, while others were unfamiliar with the issue. We also identified a notable gap in research on water acidification, particularly concerning freshwater systems.”

Thomson explained how WARP got started.

“UR2 contacted several MATE ROV companies and gave them a proposal to take water samples and contribute to their own ROV Sampling Technology,” the summary explains. “This effort quickly evolved into a global partnership, culminating in the launch of WARP (Water Acidification Research Project). WARP builds collective action while contributing to a deeper understanding of the critical issue of water acidification.”

Thomson and Widajewski said the project will help everyone better understand the causes of acidification, and they hope that leads to more sustainable practices and actions.

“It’s crucially important that this gets shared,” Thomson said. “Because, what’s going to start happening is we are going to start losing chunks of the ecosystem, and then, how are the fish going to be surviving? Are we even going to have the same fish population in 20 years?”

“Our mission is to have innovative research and build a deeper understanding of the environmental challenges we face,” the WARP summary states. “We do this by educating the general public and our community. UR2 seeks to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability. We inspire people to take actionable steps toward reducing their carbon footprints, promoting eco-friendly practices, and adopting sustainable habits in their personal and professional lives. UR2 also wants to create a platform where we can spread environmental awareness and promote eco-friendly practices to lead to positive, lasting change.”