Our Story
It started with a visit that changed everything.
Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center — where it all started.
We started Project PEARL after Doug and his family visited the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center. They saw what polluted coastal water does to living systems up close. The people there work every day to save animals that depend on these waters. What stayed with Doug was a simple thought. We work hard to rescue life in the water, but we rarely fix the water itself.
That visit changed how Doug looked at restoration. Most projects live in the nearshore zone, where stress is highest and pollution concentrates. Yet our tools stop at the shoreline or far upstream. There was no practical system focused on cleaning that water in place. That gap is what pushed him to build PIN.
The first pilot made it real. We measured what went in and what came out. We saw large drops in suspended solids and bacteria. That turned this from an idea into a commitment. Clean water gives ecosystems a fair chance. It gives communities something to believe in. PIN exists to put working systems in the water, prove results with data, and help these places move from survival back to recovery.
“The water doesn't wait. Neither should we.”
Milton, Florida — Blackwater River Watershed
January 2025 · 7-day continuous deployment · Independent lab verification
The Problem
Stormwater runoff carrying high sediment loads and bacteria into the Blackwater River watershed — a system already under stress. No in-water treatment existed between pollution sources and receiving waters.
The Solution
Deployed PIN — a modular, chemical-free treatment platform combining engineered media filtration with biological processes. Continuous 7-day operation treating real stormwater runoff in field conditions.
The Result
88–95% TSS removal and 93.8% E. coli reduction — with zero chemicals. The bacteria reduction was unplanned; the system was designed for sediment. Lab-verified by independent analysis.
Key Takeaway: A nature-inspired mechanical system achieved lab-grade bacteria reduction without targeting bacteria directly — demonstrating that integrated biological and mechanical filtration outperforms single-mechanism approaches in real stormwater conditions.
For pilot data, lab reports, or deployment inquiries: doug@project-pearl.org