Dissertation Research: Nitrate Reduction at the Salt Marsh Groundwater Interface

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9520819 ANDERSON Groundwater enriched in nitrate may be a significant non-point nutrient source to near-shore ecosystems. The importance of this nitrogen source will depend upon the site of discharge and biological transformations that occur during transit of groundwater from uplands across the coastal margin. Intertidal wetlands are conspicuous occupants of intertidal areas throughout the eastern coast of North American. As groundwater contacts anaerobic marsh sediments, the nitrate present may undergo denitrification to nitrogen or dissimilation to ammonium. Depending upon which process occurs, nitrogen will either be conserved within or exported out of the system. There is no method currently available to simultaneously quantify and differentiate between dissimilation and denitrification. This work proposes using stable isotope technology along with conservative tracers to determine rates of dissimilation and denitrification and relate measurements to seasonal organic carbon fluctuations and net marsh community production.