Acquisition of a Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer to Support Marine Science Research and Education in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

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The Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium (MESC) are awarded a grant to acquire a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) instrument for its Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) in Alabama. This instrument will enable DISL and regional scientists to investigate myriad questions related to the marine ecosystem in the northern Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, as well as to conduct archaeological and biogeochemical research. Example of the types of research to be conducted include 1) examining habitat utilization and metapopulation structure in marine fishes; 2) relating anthropogenic sources of nutrients in coastal waters to local and regional freshwater input; 3) employing Si isotope dilution protocols to examine silcon cycling processes and the global carbon cycle; and, 4) examining the environmental history of fish and shellfish resources of Native Americans in the southeastern US via LA-ICP-MS analysis of otoliths and shells found in middens.The LA-ICP-MS instrument will have substantial broader impacts by facilitating research on a wide range of topics well-aligned with public and governmental needs. Marine education activities also will be strengthened by exposing DISL undergraduate and graduate students to the latest technology through coursework and research projects. The instrument and results of studies undertaken with it will enhance the education and outreach activities of DISL's Discovery Hall Program, which is a well-regarded K-Gray program that educates over 5,000 students annually through its year-long program and through the NSF-sponsored COSEE Gulf of Mexico program. Lastly, the novelty and enhanced research capabilities that the LA-ICP-MS instrument will bring to DISL will greatly assist efforts in recruiting students from underrepresented groups, which will occur among member universities of the MESC and through the Alabama Alliance for Graduate Education and Professoriate.