Kona Science Café is trying an online format in this time of coronavirus. If interested in attending, email Rod Hinman (rod@auroraresearch.com). He will respond with more information about joining the presentation.

What: The measurement of microbial safety of our recreation waters is a SWAG, and we are going to be OK

Who: Dr Rick Bennett, President Applied Life Sciences LLC and the Kona Coast Waterkeeper

When: Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, 5 p.m.

Where: Virtual (Zoom meeting)

Dr. Bennett will give a graphical presentation on the difficulties of measuring the microbial impacts of sewage and septage on the microbial safety of the Kona Coast recreation waters. The historic measures of waste microbes, including Enterococci, do not provide meaningful risk assessment information for our communities. Other specific wastewater indicators will be discussed, including results with optical brighteners in laundry detergents and the artificial sweetener Sucralose in coastal waters. Risk modifying factors like rain and solar events will also be presented.

Participants will:

• gain knowledge that will assist with personal judgements about the microbial risks of ocean recreation
• appreciate that modern microbiological methods can provide meaningful risk data
• see that the quality of our ocean water is our responsibility alone

Schedule and format:

5 p.m. start. There is less need to wait for people to trickle in after being delayed in traffic, so we’re starting on time.

Pupus: as we will be virtual, feel free to have your own drinks and pupus. Please mute your microphone when crunching on chips!

Networking: This is one area where the virtual format is deficient. Zoom does have the concept of “breakout rooms”: the host must assign people to them, which is a decent option for corporate meetings or school work. But it seems like more work than it is worth for this kind of presentation.

Instead, I would encourage participants to use the chat feature of Zoom to chat with others, and perhaps arrange a side conversation afterward. You can set the chat text to be sent to everyone, or just to a specific person.