FSML: Acquisition of environmental chambers to examine the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance on coastal ecosystems

预测关键的生态和地球化学过程如何应对不断变化的环境条件，如温度，光照和二氧化碳浓度，需要在不同尺度上结合现场和实验室操作。该提案旨在恢复和提高路易斯安那大学海洋联合会（LUMCON）和整个成员联合会机构的科学家的能力，以研究环境变化如何影响对我们沿海生态系统健康至关重要的关键生态和生物地球化学过程。该提案要求两个最先进的大型步入式环境室，以提高我们不仅模拟现场环境条件，而且以受控方式实验性地操纵环境条件的能力。由于LUMCON是路易斯安那州的主要现场海洋实验室，对实证研究的重视程度特别高。无论是使用养殖的生物（鱼类、浮游植物、沼泽草），还是从取样旅行中带回的生物，环境箱都是LUMCON已经并将继续进行的实验工作的关键组成部分。更广泛的影响LUMCON现场非常活跃，学生（K-12和大学）培训和公众宣传。大学生积极与他们的教师导师一起发表，需要更换的环境室通常用于现场的教育/培训项目。因此，购买新的腔室将以有利于研究人员和学生的方式增强LUMCON的基础设施。LUMCON做了一个伟大的工作，将教育机会融入车站计划。例如，他们有一个现场实习计划，主办了一个JASON基金会的教育探险，担任墨西哥湾海洋科学教育卓越计划中心的合作伙伴网站，并开发了Bayouside教室。这样的教育机会是非常宝贵的地区，作为LUMCON服务的教育系统在美国的文化多样性和典型的贫困地区的需求。

Predicting how key ecological and biogeochemical processes respond to changing environmental conditions such as temperature, light and carbon dioxide concentrations requires a combination of field and laboratory manipulation at various scales. This proposal seeks to restore and enhance the ability of scientists at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), and throughout the member consortium institutions, to examine how environmental changes impact key ecological and biogeochemical processes critical to the health of our coastal ecosystems. This proposal requests two state of the art large walk-in environmental chambers in order to enhance our ability not only to simulate in-situ environmental conditions but experimentally manipulate environmental conditions in a controlled manner. Because LUMCON is Louisiana's primary field marine laboratory, the emphasis on empirical research is particularly high. Whether cultured organisms (fish, phytoplankton, marsh grass) are used, or organisms are brought back from sampling trips, the environmental chambers are a critical component of the experimental work that has been and will continue to be performed at LUMCON.Broader ImpactsThe LUMCON site is incredibly active with student (K-12 and college) training and public outreach. College students actively publish with their faculty mentors, and the environmental chambers that need replacing are routinely used in educational/training programs on-site. Thus, the purchase of the new chambers will enhance the infrastructure of LUMCON in a way that benefits both researchers and students. LUMCON does a great job integrate educational opportunities into station programs. For example, they have an internship program onsite, hosted a JASON Foundation for education expedition, served as a partner site for the Gulf of Mexico Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence program, and developed the Bayouside Classroom. Such educational opportunities are invaluable to the area, as LUMCON services the needs of educational systems in a culturally diverse and typically underprivileged region of the United States.