Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Biomarker Study Of Bellingham Bay : Identifying How Urbanization Has Affected Carbon Storage And Eelgrass, Jess Shulman

WWU Graduate School Collection

Understanding sediment sources and fluxes throughout coastal zones is essential to evaluate shoreline stability, ecosystem health, and the potential for carbon storage. In Bellingham Bay, WA, like many developed coastal settings, urban areas have replaced forested cover and altered sediment fluxes, yet little is known of their offshore impacts. I analyzed n-alkanes, found in plant leaf waxes preserved in marine sediments of Bellingham Bay to characterize sediment sources and reconstruct changes in the relative contributions of eelgrass beds to sedimentary organic matter since pre-industrial times using a linear mixing model. Eight 2-meter-long cores were analyzed in order to determine how …