Analysis of Mangroves Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

As climate change accelerates rising sea levels, storm surges, and shifting wave conditions, South Florida's coastal communities face heightened vulnerability to climate-related disasters. Mangrove ecosystems serve as natural buffers that mitigate such impacts. However, urban mangroves, specifically those in Miami, are increasingly exposed to pollution from heavy metals, microplastics, and other contaminants, which may affect their effectiveness and overall health. This project investigates methods to analyze and monitor these pollutants using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). This technique generates plasma through high-energy laser pulses and identifies chemical compositions through optical emission spectra. Our focus is on developing optimized preparation methods for organic samples, including mangrove leaves, propagules, and substrate, suitable for LIBS ablation. This entails identifying effective binding agents (e.g., potassium bromide, KBr), determining optimal granularity, binding ratios, heating temperatures, and pressing techniques. Refining these parameters is essential to obtaining data that will contribute to a larger research study aimed at understanding the physics of urban mangroves.