FIU researchers use this unexpected tool to clean dirty canals in South Florida

Researchers at Florida International University are finding new and innovative ways to clean up dirty canals in South Florida.

Jazmin Locke-Rodriguez, a postdoctoral associate at the Institute of Environment at FIU, is among the team that’s figured out a way to clean them up using an unlikely source: flowers.

“We found that the flowers did an incredible job at removing the nutrients and the pollutants the same way that we would expect from wetland plants,” Locke-Rodriguez said.

Over the course of 12 weeks, Locke-Rodriguez and FIU students planted flowers on floating platforms and placed them in polluted waterways like Little River.

“The roots that are hanging in the water help uptake these pollutants and their nutrients, essentially remediating the water, cleaning the water up,” she said.

The waterways in South Florida all lead to the ocean, which is why it’s so important to clean them up.

“In the face of climate change with increased heat and increased storms, we’re seeing more water and more rain running more of these pollutants into our canals and into our lakes,” Locke-Rodriguez said.

It’s that kind of pollution that leads to things like toxic algae blooms and the widespread fish kills we’ve seen in Florida in recent years.

According to FIU's research, the floating flower beds removed two common nutrients found in fertilizer at a faster pace than the natural cycle.

One flower performed the best.

“The marigold seems to be working really well," said FIU professor Dr. Krishnaswamy Jayachandran. "We looked at the root system and they’re really enjoying the waterways."

Researchers are now looking at ways to place flower beds in more waterways.

Additionally, the flowers grown in canals are not going to waste.

“We’re cutting the flowers regularly and we’ll be able to sell bouquets of flowers in the process,” Locke-Rodriguez said.

The idea is that the proceeds from the flower sales will help pay for their project.

“It actually turns out that Miami is the hub for the nation’s cut flower industry,” she said.

It’s sustainable agriculture in our own backyard that’s turning trash, into something beautiful, one plant at a time.

Locke-Rodriguez founded the start-up called Green Thumb Strategies and along with FIU, they’re hoping to gather more support to continue growing their flower beds and place them in more waterways.

For more information about the project, click here.