Research

Research Expertise and Interests
• Agricultural and Environmental monitoring using Remote Sensing and GIS.
• Land Use and Land Cover change, Global Environmental change detection.
• Imaging Spectrometer and Hyperspectral data acquisition and analysis.
• Monitoring the effects of Heavy metal and Nutrient Pollution on Soil, Plant and Atmosphere.
• Soil Contamination, Remediation and Restoration.

Research Accomplishments

  • Precision agriculture for soil and water conservation in South Florida.
  • Monitoring the land use and land cover changes and environmental contamination trends in the urban watersheds of Houston-Galveston Region.
  • Mapping and monitoring the water quality of the Galveston Bay, Texas and Lake Victoria in East Africa.
  • Quantify and monitor the landscape level changes on the mercury concentrations at watershed scale.
  • Develop geospatial database to map mercury concentration in soil, sediment, water and fish in Tennessee watersheds.
  • Quantify the physical and chemical changes of soils in the Lake Erie drainage basin as a result of sewage sludge, dairy and poultry manure applications.
  • Monitoring the chemical concentrations in soils and plants through traditional chemical analysis and to map the areas of high chemical concentrations using the satellite imagery.
  • Mapping and measuring the algal blooms and other water quality parameters in Lake Erie through traditional analytical methods and also through remote sensing and GIS techniques.
  • Mapping the distribution and effects of the Salt cedar (Tamarix ramosissima) an invasive plant species along the riparian areas of the Lower Colorado region
  • Monitoring the land use and land cover changes and environmental contamination trends in the urban watersheds of Houston-Galveston Region.

Research Grants Funded

($8.80 Million since 2010, $3.43 Million as PI)

($5.47 Million since 2020 at FIU, $2.67 Million as PI)

  1. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (Co-PI).  Incubating Farms for the Underserved Through Education and Engagement (InFUSEE). 2024-2027, $740,220, USDA-OPPE (Funded).
  2. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (Co-PI).  Comprehensive Experimental Learnings to Promote Climate Resilient Agriculture for Underrepresented Minority Students. 2024-2028, $1,200,000, USDA-HSI (Funded).
  3. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI).  Unlock the Power of SHRS Germplasm Collection to Revolutionize Soil Preservation and Enhance Microbiome Support. 2025-2029, $24,480, USDA-ARS-SHRS-NACA (Funded).
  4. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI) – Faculty Mentor. Green Roof Plant Selection for Climate-Resilient Urban Ecosystems in South Florida. 2024. $25,000, Volo Foundation (Funded). Graduate Students Involved: van Oyege, Moses Kiwanuka, Jordan Prats, Priyanka Belbase.
  5. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI).  Evaluation of Climate Resilient Urban Agricultural Conservation Practices to Improve Soil Health. 2024-2026. $500,000, USDA-NRCS-FL (Funded).
  6. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI).  Comprehensive Agriculture Research Experiential (CARE) Learning Through Precision Agriculture And Conservation Science (PACS). 2023-2027, $399,999, USDA-HSI (Funded).
  7. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (Co-PI).  Building Capacity in Microbiome Innovation for Plant Health, Soil Fertility and Environmental Sustainability. 2023-2027, $1,00.000, USDA-HSI (Funded).
  8. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI).  Education and Training Workshop to Promote Urban Agriculture for Food Security and Community Building. 2023-2024. $111,000, USDA-FAS-Cochran Fellowship Program (Funded).
  9. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI).  Training and Education for Agricultural Management (TEAM) to promote Soil Health and Crop Productivity in South Africa. 2023-2025. $50,000. USDA-FAS-Scientific Cooperative Research Program (SCRP) (Funded).
  10. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Integrated Capacity Building Project to Promote Student Success and Leadership in Sustainable And Precision Agriculture. 2023-2026, $150,000, USDA-NLGCA Grant (Funded).
  11. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Demonstration of Crop Rotation and Cover Crop Influence on Urban Agriculture (UA) Farms through Sensor and Geospatial Technologies. 2023-2026, $817,330, USDA-NRCS-CIG Grant (Funded).
  12. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Spatial and temporal dynamics of blue carbon ecosystems of South Florida. 2022-2023, $25,000, NASA-FL-Space Grant (Funded).
  13. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (Co-PI). Building Research, Education, And Leadership for Agriculture and Related Career (bREAL – ARC). 2022-2026, $1,00,000, USDA-HSI (Funded).
  14. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Evaluation of High Tunnel Systems on Dragon Fruit Production in South Florida. 2022-2023, $75,000, USDA-NRCS-FL (Funded).
  15. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (Co-PI). Experiential and Experimental Training for Multicultural Undergraduate Scholars in Agroecology and Natural Resource Sciences at Florida International University. 2022-2026, $600,000, USDA-HSI (Funded).
  16. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Excellence in Research: Analyzing the impact of landscape changes on the watershed dynamics of a flood-prone urban region. 2018-2024, $500,000, NSF-EIR-GSS. (Funded – NSF Grant).
  17. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (Co-PI). Characterization, dynamics and biological impact of indoor airborne dust exposure. 2018-2023, $999,786, NSF-RISE. (Funded – NSF Grant).
  18. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Infusion of Geospatial Informatics to Enhance an Undergraduate Biological Science Program. 2016-2020, $399,999, NSF-TIP. (Funded – NSF Grant).
  19. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Impact of landscape and environmental changes on the water quality of Galveston Bay, TX. 2016-2017, $20,000, Texas Space Grant, NASA Space Grant Consortium. (Funded).
  20. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Spatial and temporal modeling of mercury fate and dynamics in East Tennessee watersheds. 2014-2018, $39,996, Supplemental Grant, NSF-HBCU-UP. (Funded – NSF Grant).
  21. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Spatial and temporal modeling of mercury fate and dynamics in East Tennessee watersheds. 2014-2018, $199,999, NSF-HBCU-UP. (Funded – NSF Grant).
  22. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Landscape level patterns of mercury contamination and bioaccumulation in East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) watershed, 2014-2015, $ 15,000. (Funded – DOE Grant)
  23. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Use of a geospatial database and model to map mercury distribution and transport in the East Fork Poplar Creek watershed, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 2013-2014, $ 15,000. (Funded – DOE Grant)
  24. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Monitoring agricultural sewage sludge, 2012-2013, $10,860. (Funded – USDA subcontract through University of Toledo) Sub Award No. 10390057-TSU
  25. Vincent RK, Maruthi Sridhar BB. Calibration and validation of remote sensing data for the Lower Colorado River Region, 2007-2011, $56,000. (Funded – USBR subcontract through Central State University)
  26. Vincent RK, Maruthi Sridhar BB. Monitoring agricultural sewage sludge, 2010- 2013, $468,000. (Funded – USDA subcontract through University of Toledo)
  27. Vincent RK, Maruthi Sridhar BB. Monitoring agricultural sewage sludge, 2009- 2012, $101,765. (Funded – USDA subcontract through University of Toledo)

Patents

  1. Maruthi
    Sridhar     BB, Vincent RK. 2014. Method
    and system for detecting phosphorus in soil from reflected light reflected
    light. US Patent No. 8,655,601.
  2. Maruthi
    Sridhar     BB, Vincent RK. 2013. Method
    and system for detecting copper in soil from reflected light. US Patent
    No. 8,426,211.
  3. Maruthi
    Sridhar     BB, Vincent RK. 2013. Method
    and system for detecting sulfur in soil from reflected light. US Patent
    No. 8,367,420.
  4. Vincent
    RK, Maruthi Sridhar BB. 2011.
    Methods and apparatus for detecting organic materials and objects from
    multispectral reflected light. US Patent No. 0024,632 / US Patent No.
    8,030,615 / US Patent No. 8,058,617.
  5. Vincent
    RK, Maruthi Sridhar BB. 2010. Methods
    and apparatus for detecting organic materials and objects from
    multispectral reflected light. US Patent No. 7,767,966.