Collaborative Research: Tidal Marsh Outwelling of Dissolved Organic Matter into the Chesapeake Bay: Impact on the Optical, Chemical & Microbial Characteristics of Estuarine Wat

溶解有机质（DOM）是河口和海洋中有机碳的主要储集层。作为微生物的食物来源，浮游生物抵御紫外线辐射的防晒霜，以及影响水质的化学反应物，它在沿海生态系统生态学中发挥着关键作用。这个项目试图理解潮汐沼泽作为DOM来源的作用。切萨皮克湾（7万公顷）丰富的沼泽使其成为解决几个关键问题的理想场所。淡水河口和咸水河口DOM的性质不同吗？差异是由于邻近沼泽所支持的植物类型还是水中盐的含量？微生物在DOM和某些沼泽类型上的生长是否不同？将采用一系列综合的方法来回答这些问题，包括实地研究、光学性质、化学分析和新的实验室研究。最终目标是更好地了解是什么调节了DOM从河口输送到沿海海洋的来源和命运。这项研究将提高我们使用海洋颜色遥感来了解切萨皮克湾和其他沿海地区生态方面的能力。由于DOM的产生是全球碳循环的一个重要过程，因此这项研究也将有助于我们了解对大气二氧化碳的控制，从而了解气候变化。这项工作通过将研究纳入史密森尼环境研究中心（SERC）的公共教育项目来促进教学、培训和学习，该项目每年为近1万名儿童带来实践科学经验。公众将通过大众媒体、网站以及SERC和马里兰大学主办的公共活动了解这项研究。

Dissolved organic matter, DOM, is a major reservoir of organic carbon in estuaries and the ocean. It plays a key role in coastal ecosystem ecology as a food source for microbes, sunscreen against ultraviolet radiation for plankton, and a chemical reactant affecting water quality. This project seeks to understand the role of tidal marshes as sources of DOM. The abundance of marshes in the Chesapeake Bay (70,000 ha) make this an ideal place for addressing several key questions. Do the properties of DOM differ between freshwater and saltwater estuaries? Are differences due to the types of plants the adjacent marshes support or amount of salt in the water? Do microbes grow differently on DOM from certain marsh types? A comprehensive array of methods will be used to answer these questions including field studies, optical properties, chemical analyses and novel laboratory studies. The ultimate goal is to better understand what regulates sources and fates of DOM as it is transported by estuaries to the coastal ocean. The research will improve our ability to use ocean color remote sensing to understand aspects of the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay and other coastal zones. Because DOM production is an important process in global carbon cycling, the research also will contribute to our understanding of the controls on atmospheric carbon dioxide and, hence, climate change. The work promotes teaching, training, and learning by incorporating research into the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's (SERC) public education programs, which brings hands-on science experiences to nearly 10,000 children every year. The public will learn about the research through mass media, websites, and public events hosted at SERC and the University of Maryland.