Understanding estuarine carbon cycling within the context of climatic and anthropogenic change

河口是地球上生产力最高的生态系统之一，但受到一系列相互作用的人类和气候压力的负面影响，包括营养过度丰富、气候变暖和淡水输入量的变化。研究人员试图通过添加和合成北卡罗来纳州纽兹河河口(NRE)的长期水质数据库来了解这些应激源的累积影响。纽兹河河口是北卡罗来纳州具有代表性的沿海平原河口，其分水岭的人口不断增长。NRE正在经历营养负荷、热带气旋频率和极端气候的增加。将收集营养和碳循环测量，包括二氧化碳交换和微藻(浮游植物)产量，并研究与特定应激源相关的变化趋势和模式。共享的项目数据和结果将帮助研究人员、管理者和决策者更好地预测和适应性地管理受人类和气候变化影响的河口生态系统的水质。该项目将为博士后研究人员和研究生、本科生(包括那些参加NSF本科生研究体验项目的学生)和高中水平的学生提供多样化的教育和就业机会。基于网络的总结和课堂练习将加强K-12科学课程，并向公众介绍当地河口的水质问题。

Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, but are affected negatively by a wide array of interacting human and climatic stressors, including nutrient over-enrichment, climate warming, and changes in the amount of freshwater input. The investigators seek to understand the cumulative effect of these stressors through additions to and synthesis of a long-term water-quality database for the Neuse River Estuary (NRE) in North Carolina, a representative coastal-plain estuary with a growing human population in its watershed. The NRE is experiencing increases in nutrient loading, frequency of tropical cyclones, and climatic extremes. Nutrient and carbon-cycle measurements, including CO2 exchange and microalgal (phytoplankton) production, will be collected and studied for trends and patterns of variability that link to specific stressors. It is hypothesized that regional climate patterns modulate the impacts of management efforts, thus masking potential recovery in the NRE.Shared project data and results will help researchers, managers, and decision makers to better predict and adaptively manage water quality of estuarine ecosystems under the influence of human and climatic changes. The project will provide diverse educational and employment opportunities for post-doctoral researchers and students at the graduate, undergraduate (including those enrolled in a companion NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates program), and high-school levels. Web-based summaries and classroom exercises will enhance K-12 science curricula and inform the public on local estuarine water-quality issues.