Total Organic Carbon Analyzer for Carbon Cycling in Freshwater

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Lakes and rivers and the services that they provide to Canadians are profoundly influenced by dissolved organic material (DOM) that typically loads into waters from land. DOM which is derived primarily from plants and soils plays an important role in lakes and rivers by controlling many biological, chemical and physical parameters in our waters. DOM also plays a key role in global carbon fluxes. We measure DOM by quantifying its carbon content (abbreviated as DOC). Fluctuations currently occurring in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loadings in freshwater represent a dramatic presentation of global ecosystem change. For example, many northern and boreal lakes and rivers are experiencing increased color due to the increased loading of terrestrial organic carbon, essentially turning browner (known as “browning”= increased terrestrial organic matter) because of climate and/or land-use changes. These changes in DOC in turn affect primary production, biodiversity, fish production, biogeochemical processes and drinking water quality. The requested funding will allow us to purchase a TOC Analyzer which can be used to measure DOC in water. With this we will examine DOC dynamics and their links to primary production, food web trophic pathways, and fish production and health in lakes and rivers in Ontario. The data that we collect can be used for scientific policy for example by linking the regional increases in stream and lake DOC with the reduction in drinking water quality.