Acquisition of Elemental Analysis Instrumentation

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Elemental analysis instrumentation will support the current and future research and education needs of California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM), a rapidly growing, minority-serving university in north San Diego County, California. The instrumentation includes: (1) a flow injection ion analyzer for the rapid and routine analysis of ions in seawater and brackish water (nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, silicate, ortho-phosphate, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) and soil and/or plant samples (ortho-phosphate, total phosphate, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen) and (2) a flame atomic absorption spectrometer for the quantitative measurement of metals and cations in water, soil, skeletal, and tissue samples.Users of these instruments include biology faculty, graduate (M.S.) students and advanced undergraduate students. Projects include research on nutrient cycling in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. This equipment will substantially increase the research, research training, and educational capabilities of the CSUSM ecology and environmental science programs. This instrumentation is the first stage in equipping the new elemental analysis facility which will increase opportunities for external funding of research and research training initiatives, and enhance collaborative partnerships in the region.