FIU: Young scientist revitalizes Biscayne Bay

Rebecca Rauch-Thane, a dual enrollment student at FIU from Miami Beach Senior High School, is on a mission to improve the health of Biscayne Bay.

Northern Biscayne Bay has been affected by sewage release, bulkhead construction, dredging and the creation of artificial islands throughout the past century. Federal officials estimate the bay has lost 82 percent of its mangroves, according to a Miami Herald article. Looking to moringa trees as a means to improve Biscayne Bay’s water quality, Rauch-Thane treated samples of water with moringa seeds. The dual-enrollment student found the seeds purified and clarified the water, effectively reducing its cloudiness and phosphorous content, while also stabilizing nitrogen content and salinity levels.