Innovation in Water Monitoring in the Amazon: Cataloging and integration of field data with emerging technologies for predicting water quality parameters in the estuary of Marajó Bay, PA

• Grant number: 24/22444-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Production Engineering - Operational Research
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Leduíno de Salles Neto
• Grantee: Luiz Leduíno de Salles Neto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São José dos Campos. São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Adauto Lucas da Silva ; Alessandro Lucas da Silva ; Anibal Tavares de Azevedo ; Cristiano Torezzan ; Paulo Sergio de Arruda Ignacio

Abstract

The analysis and characterization of water microbiomes is essential to ensure the representation of the Amazon in studies on the subject since only some studies cover this diverse region of South America. Large-volume estuaries present obstacles to monitoring water quality due to wide spatial variability, with salinity, temperature and nutrient gradients, tidal influence, stratification and multiple tributaries. The complexity makes it challenging to select representative points and requires an adapted approach, and limited accessibility also restricts data collection. In this sense, the project proposes understanding water quality for environmental monitoring of the studied estuary based on parameters established by legislation, in addition to the survey of phytoplankton and metagenomic analysis, it provides an in-depth multidimensional analysis of water bodies, taking into account the socioeconomic dynamics and anthropogenic pressures suffered by the macro and microbiota. The main objective is to catalogue the vulnerabilities of critical points in terms of water quality parameters through the development of an environmental monitoring system for the quality of large-volume water resources applied to the Marajó Bay estuary and its areas of influence in the Brazilian Amazon, using metagenomic analyses, mathematical and computational models (prediction with supervised heuristics and metaheuristics, and hydrodynamic simulation) to assist in the development of public policies in public health, sanitation, and the environment. Methodologically, the research is applied, interdisciplinary, and integrative. It reflects its innovative approach, combining traditional methods with advanced technologies to monitor and predict water quality in a strategic region. Involving qualitative and quantitative analyses, this study explores the interactions between natural and human systems, seeking to understand and proactively respond to the challenges faced. (AU)