Spatial Variability Of Sediment Amorphous Silica And Its Reactivity In A Northern Gulf Of Mexico Estuary And Coastal Zone,
2021
Lyon College
Spatial Variability Of Sediment Amorphous Silica And Its Reactivity In A Northern Gulf Of Mexico Estuary And Coastal Zone, Elliot J. Kemp, Ryan R. Roseburrough, Emily A. Elliott, Jeffrey W. Krause
Gulf and Caribbean Research
No abstract provided.
Modeling Stromatolite Formation With Diffusion-Limited Aggregation,
2021
The University Of Montana
Modeling Stromatolite Formation With Diffusion-Limited Aggregation, Laura E. Stevens
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Stromatolites, microbialites, and other microbially induced sedimentary structures exist in the rock record as far back as 3.6 billion years ago and continue to form in the present day. Better characterizing these structures and better understanding how they form is crucial in distinguishing these biosignatures from similar, abiotic structures, which can help us to understand the conditions of early Earth and early Mars. To that end, I have modified DLA 3D EXT, an open-source stromatolite modeling program, to more closely reflect the process of microbial trapping-and-binding by filamentous microbes in a calcite-precipitating hot spring system. This modified program includes a …
Comparing Capabilities Of Shewanella Oneidensis Mr-1 And The Microbial Community Of Iron Caves To Reduce Fe(Iii),
2021
University of Akron
Comparing Capabilities Of Shewanella Oneidensis Mr-1 And The Microbial Community Of Iron Caves To Reduce Fe(Iii), Aaron Douglas Pham
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Caves are generally formed by the erosion and/or dissolution of rock and its subsequent removal by water. Iron ore caves (IOCs) form despite being hosted by relatively insoluble and weathering-resistant rock. Due to the discovery of a microbial community behind the walls of these caves, it was hypothesized that these bacteria could be responsible for speleogenesis. Iron ore exists in an oxidized (Fe(III)) state, but reduced (Fe(II)) form is soluble. It was further reasoned that the bacteria might be able to reduce Fe(III) through direct metabolic activity, which uses iron as an electron acceptor. Here we show that cave microorganisms …
Understanding The Effects Of Complex Topography On Cover Crop Dynamics And Maize Production In Kentucky Agroecosystems,
2021
University of Kentucky
Understanding The Effects Of Complex Topography On Cover Crop Dynamics And Maize Production In Kentucky Agroecosystems, Samuel John Leuthold
Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences
In Central Kentucky, rolling hill cropland presents a number of challenges related to soil sustainability. Increased topographic complexity can lead to increased erosion, inefficient crop nutrient use and increased nutrient loss. Further, grain crop yields can be variable across both space and time in rolling hill fields and are less resilient to changes in weather conditions than flatter, more homogeneous areas. More than 30% of cropland in Kentucky has a slope greater than 3⁰, which means a large swath of the row crop production land in the state is at increased risk of contribution to soil and water resource degradation. …
Long Term Nutrient And Chlorophyll A Dynamics Across Long Island Sound And Impacts On Dissolved Oxygen Conditions Within The Western Sound (1991-2019),
2021
CUNY City College
Long Term Nutrient And Chlorophyll A Dynamics Across Long Island Sound And Impacts On Dissolved Oxygen Conditions Within The Western Sound (1991-2019), Sherry Perreira
Dissertations and Theses
Nitrogen overload, eutrophication, and hypoxia have been challenging and persistent water quality problems in Long Island Sound (LIS) over the past decades with major impacts on commercial industries, ecology, and recreational activities in the region. Recognizing these problems, the EPA enforced three phases of the Clean Water Act (CWA) to reduce nitrogen loads in an effort to improve this important estuary. This study examines how nitrogen (NH3, NOx & TDN), chlorophyll a (CHLA), and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations changed in LIS over the past 30 years, in response to water quality regulations as well as changes in …
The Role Of Symbiotic Algae In The Acclimatization Of Oculina Arbuscula To Ocean Acidification,
2021
Georgia Southern University
The Role Of Symbiotic Algae In The Acclimatization Of Oculina Arbuscula To Ocean Acidification, Erin M. Arneson
College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations
Ocean acidification (OA) caused by CO2 emissions is projected to decrease seawater pH to 7.6 by 2100. Scleractinian corals are at risk because excess H+ in seawater binds to carbonate (CO32-), reducing its availability for CaCO3 skeletons. The energy demand for skeletal growth increases as pH decreases because corals must actively purge excess H+ from their seawater sourced calcifying fluid to maintain high calcification rates. In scleractinian corals it is hypothesized that photosynthesis by symbiotic algae is critical to meet this increased energy demand. To test this hypothesis, I conducted laboratory and field …
Effects Of Tidal Flooding On Estuarine Biogeochemistry: Quantifying Flood-Driven Nitrogen Inputs In An Urban, Lower Chesapeake Bay Sub-Tributary,
2021
Old Dominion University
Effects Of Tidal Flooding On Estuarine Biogeochemistry: Quantifying Flood-Driven Nitrogen Inputs In An Urban, Lower Chesapeake Bay Sub-Tributary, Alfonso Macías-Tapia, Margaret R. Mulholland, Corday R. Selden, J. Derek Loftis, Peter W. Bernhardt
OES Faculty Publications
Sea level rise has increased the frequency of tidal flooding even without accompanying precipitation in many coastal areas worldwide. As the tide rises, inundates the landscape, and then recedes, it can transport organic and inorganic matter between terrestrial systems and adjacent aquatic environments. However, the chemical and biological effects of tidal flooding on urban estuarine systems remain poorly constrained. Here, we provide the first extensive quantification of floodwater nutrient concentrations during a tidal flooding event and estimate the nitrogen (N) loading to the Lafayette River, an urban tidal sub-tributary of the lower Chesapeake Bay (USA). To enable the scale of …
Characterizing Reactive Iron Mineral Coatings And Their Roles In Natural Attenuation At A Site With Historical Contamination,
2020
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Characterizing Reactive Iron Mineral Coatings And Their Roles In Natural Attenuation At A Site With Historical Contamination, Han Hua
Dissertations
Reactive iron mineral coatings in redox transition zones play an important role in contaminant attenuation. These mineral coatings include poorly crystalline to crystalline iron sulfides, carbonates, and oxyhydroxides, and are a signature of the biogeochemical processes occurring. To better understand these processes, reactive iron mineral coatings are characterized in an 18-m Anaerobic Core collected from a contaminated industrial site. This study targets redox transition zones uncovered in the core. A suite of complementary analyses is applied to distinguish the surface coating mineralogy using X-ray Diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX). In …
In The Margins: Reconsidering The Range And Contribution Of Diazotrophs In Nearshore Environments,
2020
Old Dominion University
In The Margins: Reconsidering The Range And Contribution Of Diazotrophs In Nearshore Environments, Corday R. Selden
OES Theses and Dissertations
Dinitrogen (N2) fixation enables primary production and, consequently, carbon dioxide drawdown in nitrogen (N) limited marine systems, exerting a powerful influence over the coupled carbon and N cycles. Our understanding of the environmental factors regulating its distribution and magnitude are largely based on the range and sensitivity of one genus, Trichodesmium. However, recent work suggests that the niche preferences of distinct diazotrophic (N2 fixing) clades differ due to their metabolic and ecological diversity, hampering efforts to close the N budget and model N2 fixation accurately. Here, I explore the range of N2 fixation …
Advances In The Understanding Of Sourcing And Fate Of Pyrogenic Organic Matter In The Environment,
2020
Old Dominion University
Advances In The Understanding Of Sourcing And Fate Of Pyrogenic Organic Matter In The Environment, Aleksandar Ivaylov Goranov
Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations
With higher occurrences of forest fires worldwide, there has been an increase in scientific interest surrounding the chemistry of pyrogenic organic matter (pyOM). The main structural components of pyOM, the condensed aromatic compounds (ConAC), exhibit intriguing physico-chemical properties and have been one of the main focuses of biogeochemical research. The overwhelmingly large number of scientific articles regarding pyOM and ConAC are guided by the assumption that ConAC in the environment are exclusively of pyrogenic origin, even though some recent studies have suggested that some of these ConAC could also be derived from non-pyrogenic radical-driven processes. To evaluate this controversial proposition, …
Sodium-Calcium Ratios In The Planktic Foraminifera Trilobatus Sacculifer As A Proxy For Sea Surface Salinity,
2020
Old Dominion University
Sodium-Calcium Ratios In The Planktic Foraminifera Trilobatus Sacculifer As A Proxy For Sea Surface Salinity, Colton Steele Watkins
OES Theses and Dissertations
Recent culture and field studies have found a significant positive correlation between seawater salinity and the incorporation of sodium into foraminiferal calcite, suggesting a potential new proxy for reconstructing past changes in sea surface salinity (SSS) (Mezger et al., 2016 and Bertlich et al., 2018). In order to test the applicability of this new proxy in an open-ocean setting, Na/Ca ratios in the planktic foraminifera Trilobatus sacculifer (T. sacculifer Na/Ca) were measured from a suite of sediment core tops spanning a natural salinity gradient from the North Atlantic subtropical gyre to the South Atlantic subtropical gyre. Initial results from …
Monitoring 2019 Bonnet Carré Spillway Impacts - Final Report,
2020
University of Southern Mississippi
Monitoring 2019 Bonnet Carré Spillway Impacts - Final Report, J. Read Hendon, Jerry D. Wiggert, Jill Hendon
Faculty Publications
Due to the multiple and extended openings of the Bonnet Carré Spillway in 2019, the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) was tasked by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources to conduct ecological sampling in the Mississippi Sound and adjacent waters. in an effort to better understand the impacts of the extensive freshwater diversion of Bonnet Carré Spillway operations on Mississippi's coastal and marine resources. The period of performance for this project was June 1, 2019, to August 31, 2019. This technical report summarizes the three months of weekly surveys and analyses, over June - August 2019, conducted by the University …
Contribution Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge To Select Biogeochemical Fluxes In St. Louis Bay, Mississippi,
2020
The University of Southern Mississippi
Contribution Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge To Select Biogeochemical Fluxes In St. Louis Bay, Mississippi, Haley Spaid
Master's Theses
This thesis assesses the role of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in St. Louis Bay, Mississippi. Located along the northern Gulf of Mexico, St. Louis Bay (SLB) is a semi-enclosed bay that is important to the local area for recreation and tourism. SGD is the movement of any water into the water column across the sediment-water interface. In coastal environments, SGD can be a source of a variety of substances including nutrients and pollutants. In this study, a steady state mass balance approach was used to quantify SGD flux for SLB using 223Ra, 224Ra, and Ba. Using the water …
Determining The Trophic Role Of Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) In Mississippi State Waters Using Stomach Content And Stable Isotope Analysis,
2020
The University of Southern Mississippi
Determining The Trophic Role Of Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) In Mississippi State Waters Using Stomach Content And Stable Isotope Analysis, Branden Kohler
Master's Theses
The goal of this study was to determine the diet composition, trophic position and ecological role of red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) in Mississippi state waters utilizing stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) and stomach content analysis. Stable isotope analysis of fish and their prey can provide information on species-specific basal resource utilization, diet composition and trophic position which can improve food web models and inform fisheries management decisions. Particulate organic matter (POM), the presumed base of the food web, red snapper muscle tissue, and red snapper stomach contents were collected from 25 sites in 2016 and …
Corn And Soybean Response To Wastewater-Recycled Phosphorus Fertilizers,
2020
University of Arkansas
Corn And Soybean Response To Wastewater-Recycled Phosphorus Fertilizers, Shane Ylagan
Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses
The ability to recycle phosphorus (P) from wastewaters could provide a sustainable, continuous source of P that might also help protect surface water quality from P enrichment. The mineral struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O) is an understudied material that can be created from Pcontaining wastewater and has been shown to have agricultural fertilizer value. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of electrochemically precipitated struvite (ECST), chemically precipitated struvite (Crystal Green; CG), diammonium phosphate (DAP), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), rock phosphate (RP), and triple super phosphate (TSP) on corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) response in a 79-day greenhouse pot …
Ideas And Perspectives: A Strategic Assessment Of Methane And Nitrous Oxide Measurements In The Marine Environment,
2020
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Ideas And Perspectives: A Strategic Assessment Of Methane And Nitrous Oxide Measurements In The Marine Environment, Samuel T. Wilson, Alia N. Al-Haj, Annie Bourbonnais, Claudia Frey, Robinson W. Fulweiler, John D. Kessler, Hannah K. Marchant, Jana Milucka, Nicholas E. Ray, Parv Suntharalingham, Brett F. Thornton, Robert C. Upstill-Goddard, Thomas S. Weber, Damian L. Arévalo-Martínez, Hermann W. Bange, Heather M. Benway, Daniele Bianchi, Alberto V. Borges, Bonnie X. Chang, Patrick M. Crill, Daniela A. Del Valle, Laura Fariás, Samantha B. Joye, Annette Kock, Jabrane Labidi, Cara C. Manning, John W. Pohlman, Gregor Rehder, Katy J. Sparrow, Philippe D. Tortell, Tina Treude, David L. Valentine
Faculty Publications
In the current era of rapid climate change, accurate characterization of climate-relevant gas dynamics-namely production, consumption, and net emissions-is required for all biomes, especially those ecosystems most susceptible to the impact of change. Marine environments include regions that act as net sources or sinks for numerous climateactive trace gases including methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). The temporal and spatial distributions of CH4 and N2O are controlled by the interaction of complex biogeochemical and physical processes. To evaluate and quantify how these mechanisms affect marine CH4 and N2O cycling requires a combination of traditional scientific disciplines including oceanography, microbiology, and …
Assessing Microbial Residues In Soil As A Potential Carbon Sink And Moderator Of Carbon Use Efficiency,
2020
University of New Hampshire, Durham
Assessing Microbial Residues In Soil As A Potential Carbon Sink And Moderator Of Carbon Use Efficiency, Kevin M. Geyer, Jorg Schnecker, A. Stuart Grandy, Andreas Richter, Serita D. Frey
Faculty Publications
A longstanding assumption of glucose tracing experiments is that all glucose is microbially utilized during short incubations of ≤2 days to become microbial biomass or carbon dioxide. Carbon use efficiency (CUE) estimates have consequently ignored the formation of residues (non-living microbial products) although such materials could represent an important sink of glucose that is prone to stabilization as soil organic matter. We examined the dynamics of microbial residue formation from a short tracer experiment with frequent samplings over 72 h, and conducted a meta-analysis of previously published glucose tracing studies to assess the generality of these experimental results. Both our …
The Transition From Stochastic To Deterministic Bacterial Community Assembly During Permafrost Thaw Succession,
2020
University of New Hampshire, Durham
The Transition From Stochastic To Deterministic Bacterial Community Assembly During Permafrost Thaw Succession, Stacey J. Doherty, Robyn A. Barbato, A. Stuart Grandy, W. Kelley Thomas, Sylvain Monteux, Ellen Dorrepaal, Margareta Johansson, Jessica G. Ernakovich
Faculty Publications
The Northern high latitudes are warming twice as fast as the global average, and permafrost has become vulnerable to thaw. Changes to the environment during thaw leads to shifts in microbial communities and their associated functions, such as greenhouse gas emissions. Understanding the ecological processes that structure the identity and abundance (i.e., assembly) of pre- and post-thaw communities may improve predictions of the functional outcomes of permafrost thaw. We characterized microbial community assembly during permafrost thaw using in situ observations and a laboratory incubation of soils from the Storflaket Mire in Abisko, Sweden, where permafrost thaw has occurred over the …
Modeling Holocene Peatland Carbon Accumulation In North America,
2020
Purdue University
Modeling Holocene Peatland Carbon Accumulation In North America, Qianlai Zhuang, Sirui Wang, Bailu Zhao, Filipe Aires, Catherine Prigent, Zicheng Yu, Jason K. Keller, Scott Bridgham
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
Peatlands are a large carbon reservoir. Yet the quantification of their carbon stock still has a large uncertainty due to lacking observational data and well‐tested peatland biogeochemistry models. Here, a process‐based peatland model was calibrated using long‐term peat carbon accumulation data at multiple sites in North America. The model was then applied to quantify the peat carbon accumulation rates and stocks within North America over the last 12,000 years. We estimated that 85–174 Pg carbon was accumulated in North American peatlands over the study period including 0.37–0.76 Pg carbon in subtropical peatlands. During the period from 10,000 to 8,000 years …
Fungal Community Structure And Function Shifts With Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition,
2020
University of New Hampshire, Durham
Fungal Community Structure And Function Shifts With Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition, Jessica A. M. Moore, Mark A. Anthony, Gregory J. Pec, Lidia K. Trocha, Artur Trzebny, Kevin M. Geyer, Linda T. A. Van Diepen, Serita D. Frey
Faculty Publications
Fungal decomposition of soil organic matter depends on soil nitrogen (N) availability. This ecosystem process is being jeopardized by changes in N inputs that have resulted from a tripling of atmospheric N deposition in the last century. Soil fungi are impacted by atmospheric N deposition due to higher N availability, as soils are acidified, or as micronutrients become increasingly limiting. Fungal communities that persist with chronic N deposition may be enriched with traits that enable them to tolerate environmental stress, which may trade-off with traits enabling organic matter decomposition. We hypothesized that fungal communities would respond to N deposition by …
