About the Project

After witnessing the destruction caused by the Pacific Palisades fires, we began to understand the uniqueness of this situation. Because these fires occurred on the coast, the resulting environmental impacts are less well-understood compared to inland fires. A similar situation occurred in Maui, where toxic debris washed into the ocean, harming both water quality and marine life. This has also affected human access to the ocean and potentially threatens the local economy, especially since tourism—largely driven by beach access—is a significant part of the Los Angeles economy. Understanding this ripple effect is crucial to developing sustainable responses.

Since there are a great deal of directions we could take in studying such a broad issue, we have separated our project into different parts. First, our study looking at how materials degrade over time once in the ocean, so we could determine what precautions would be useful when coastal homes are rebuilt. We did this by  putting different materials in separate buckets of saltwater and then also putting them into one tank simulating the seafloor. Second, we compared the samples of water in our study to zoom in on specific materials and their affects on water quality. Finally, we interviewed researchers from UCLA focusing on the harm to marine life. This clear division allowed us to tackle a complex issue methodically and thoroughly.