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

河口是地球上最具生产力的生态系统之一，但受到各种相互作用的人类和气候压力因素的负面影响，包括营养过度富集，气候变暖和淡水输入量的变化。调查人员试图了解这些压力源的累积效应，通过添加和合成的长期水质数据库的纽斯河口（NRE）在北卡罗来纳州，一个代表性的沿海平原河口，在其流域人口不断增长。NRE正在经历营养负荷，热带气旋频率和极端气候的增加。将收集和研究营养物和碳循环测量数据，包括二氧化碳交换和微藻（浮游植物）生产，以了解与特定压力因素有关的变化趋势和模式。据推测，区域气候模式调制的管理努力的影响，从而掩盖潜在的恢复在NRE.Shared项目的数据和结果将有助于研究人员，管理人员和决策者更好地预测和适应性管理河口生态系统的水质下的人类和气候变化的影响。该项目将为博士后研究人员和研究生，本科生（包括参加NSF本科生研究经验项目的学生）和高中生提供多样化的教育和就业机会。基于网络的摘要和课堂练习将加强K-12科学课程，并向公众通报当地河口水质问题。

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.