How Does Road Salt Affect the Blackstone River Ecosystem?

From organic matter to midges, students analyze changes to the river's biome.

November 6th, 2023 by College of the Holy Cross

Aidan Bowler '24 worked with Assistant Professor Pedro Torres studying the ecology of the Blackstone River. Photo by: Avanell Chang/Holy Cross

Curious about the effect that road salt has on the ecosystem of the Blackstone River, Aidan Bowler ’24 and Francisco Luc Zafon-Whalen ’24 worked with Pedro Torres, assistant professor of biology, collecting and analyzing data in the hope of gaining a better understanding of the changes.

Video by Avanell Chang.