Bodies of Water: Human Perceptions and Connections to Environmental and Coastal Consequences
Humans share a vital yet paradoxical relationship with water; it sustains life, inspires creativity, and fosters recreation, yet is simultaneously exploited and polluted. As bodies of water face mounting threats from acidification, warming, and contamination, understanding how people perceive and interact with water is essential to ensuring its protection. My capstone project explores how human behavior, values, and awareness shape the health of aquatic environments, and how individuals can foster safer and more respectful relationships with water.
To investigate this relationship, I combined scientific research with personal inquiry through a research program involving interviews, field observations, and data mining at two research sites, Golden Gardens and the Montlake Cut. This mixed-method approach allowed me to analyze both the measurable impacts of human behavior on water quality and the cultural and emotional factors that influence these interactions.
The results revealed four key insights: one, supporting public water testing and research is essential for maintaining safe, accessible water sources; two, individuals should be mindful of the products they wear in and around water; three, proper disposal of waste significantly reduces local pollution; and four, people who feel emotionally connected to water tend to treat it with greater care.
These findings highlight that small, personal actions can collectively have large environmental impacts. Strengthening emotional and ethical connections to water not only improves individual behavior but also fosters community stewardship, reminding us that safeguarding water is both a scientific responsibility and a moral obligation.