Aquahacking ​Event to save ​the Great Lakes

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Aquahacking ​Event to save ​the Great Lakes

2017 AquaHacking Summit was focused on addressing the issues facing the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin – specifically Lake Erie.

Leaders from government, First Nations, philanthropically minded businesses, and engaged youth activists were hosted by the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation and the Water Institute at the University of Waterloo at the 2017 AquaHacking Summit to address the many issues facing the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin.

aquahacking-2017.jpgAquaHacking is a collaborative movement that brings together representatives from federal and provincial government ministries, NGOs, communities, water experts, local incubators and technology firms including Founding Partner IBM Canada, and dozens of "AquaHackers" to foster the quality and responsible use of precious fresh water resources.

Hosted by The Water Brothers, Alex and Tyler Mifflin, the 3rd annual AquaHacking Summit, "United for Lake Erie," included both keynote and panel discussions and the AquaHacking Challenge Finals – the culmination of a five-month "hackathon" challenge that saw five finalist teams pitch their innovative technology solutions to the issues facing Lake Erie, including Algae Blooms, Invasive Species, Microplastic Pollution, and Climate Change.

The winning hacking team, SIM Labs, selected by a panel of five experts in water conservation and technology fields, were awarded $25,000 in prize money, a spot at a well-known, local incubator, and 25 hours of consultation and mentorship from leaders in technology and entrepreneurship.  SIM Labs' solution involved the development of a fast and robust method of automatically identifying and counting different species of cyanobacteria and predicting HAB (Harmful Algae Blooms) behavioural trends.  Collecting this data will help to better comprehend cyanobacteria behaviour in concerned environments, which will ultimately lead to HAB predictions before they occur.

About the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation
de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation.png Founded in 1990, the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation is a family-run philanthropic organisation dedicated to water conservation and to supporting family businesses. The Foundation employs an approach known as entrepreneurial philanthropy in its aim to support individuals, families in business, and organisations in becoming responsible agents of positive and sustainable change within their communities. 

Source: Markets Insider

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