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

  • 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.
  • Conducted green house studies using mustard, barley and fern plants for phytoremediation and restoration of the toxic metal contaminated soils.
  • Application of remote sensing and spectral reflectance to monitor the heavy metal stress in plants
  • Analyzed the As, Cd, Cr, Cs, Sr and Zn accumulation in soils and plants through traditional chemical analysis and microscopy

Research Grants Funded

  1. 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).
  2. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Evaluation of High Tunnel Systems on Dragon Fruit Production in South Florida. 2022-2023, $75,000, USDA-NRCS (Funded).
  3. 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).
  4. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Excellence in Research: Analyzing the impact of landscape changes on the watershed dynamics of a flood-prone urban region. 2018-2023, $500,000, NSF-EIR-GSS. (Funded – NSF Grant).
  5. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (Co-PI). Characterization, dynamics and biological impact of indoor airborne dust exposure. 2018-2023, $999,786, NSF-RISE. (Funded – NSF Grant).
  6. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Infusion of Geospatial Informatics to Enhance an Undergraduate Biological Science Program. 2016-2020, $399,999, NSF-TIP. (Funded – NSF Grant).
  7. 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).
  8. 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).
  9. 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).
  10. 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)
  11. 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)
  12. Maruthi Sridhar BB. (PI). Monitoring agricultural sewage sludge, 2012-2013, $10,860. (Funded – USDA subcontract through University of Toledo) Sub Award No. 10390057-TSU
  13. 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)
  14. Vincent RK, Maruthi Sridhar BB. Monitoring agricultural sewage sludge, 2010- 2013, $468,000. (Funded – USDA subcontract through University of Toledo)
  15. 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.