Biological systems engineering student finds his ‘why’ working in Iowa Wetlands

Iowa’s wetlands are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the state, providing critical habitat for many protected species. Once covering 11% of the state’s surface area, more than 95% of Iowa’s wetlands have now been drained or contaminated.

Eli Gannon, a senior in biological systems engineering, worked under the direction of Professor Sara McMillan to study restored wetlands. The project aims to better understand how restoration efforts influence wetland support, construction and long-term conservation of different wetland types.

“It’s important to understand the effect restoration efforts have on the microbes, soil properties and composition of the wetland environment,” McMillan said. “We’re working to maintain Iowa’s naturally occurring wetlands and create more, but first, we have to gather the data.”

Gannon collected data at four sites across Ames and Story County. Each day in the field brought new challenges and discoveries, as he waded into the wetlands to gather sediment and water samples or measure greenhouse gas emission fluxes.

“Going to sites, getting my hands dirty while collecting samples that can inform a project for the future of ecosystems in Story County and their restoration – to me, it exemplifies the ‘why’ of my program,” Gannon said. “Supporting the work to address challenges that affect my community and beyond.”

Gannon joined the project through the Water Resilience Collaborative, a network of faculty members, research organizations and extension leaders at Iowa State collectively working towards advancing water security and resilience. The collaborative connects students with an active interest in water-related research and provides mentorship from graduate students and faculty. Last summer, eight undergraduate students, including Gannon, from a range of academic programs at Iowa State participated in the initiative, contributing to water resilience projects across Iowa.

“The Undergraduate Research Program, in collaboration with the Water Resilience Collaborative, gives students an opportunity to contribute to real projects with teams on campus,” McMillan said. “It exposes them to a side of research outside the classroom environment.”

For Gannon, the experience sparked a deeper interest in fieldwork and opened the door to new career possibilities.

“This experience has opened my eyes to a future in fieldwork. I can now see myself trying to solve a large and growing problem by physically getting into it,” he said.