Collaborative Research: Organic Alkalinity: Impacts of the [OTHER] Alkalinity on Estuary and Coastal Ocean Chemistry

河口是河流与海洋交汇处形成的水体，是重要的生态系统，为鱼类和贝类的繁殖提供了受保护的环境和丰富的食物。由于大气和海洋条件的变化，以及对流入河口的河流的影响，许多河口系统都处于压力之下。新罕布什尔大学（University of New Hampshire）和南佛罗里达大学（University of South Florida）的科学家提出，受河流径流影响，一些沿海系统的总碱度可能含有很大一部分以前被忽视的有机酸，这些有机酸可能在河口的酸碱化学中发挥作用。该项目将重点了解河口的有机和无机酸碱化学。该项目将资助一名博士生和几名本科生，以及来自少数民族社区的高中实习生，以扩大对海洋科学的参与。此外，将加强一个区域野生渔业养护小组的监测和外延能力，使公众能够更充分地了解正在发生的河口变化对渔业的影响。这个项目将是两个河口-羽流系统的比较研究，以检查有机碱度对海岸系统酸碱性质的确切缓冲影响。普莱森特河口（缅因州）和圣约翰河口（加拿大）代表了河流酸碱系统的极端，其中普莱森特河口主要由有机碱度组成，圣约翰河口有一小部分有机碱度。这些科学家推测，在某些沿海地区，有机碱度可能是总碱度分布中占主导地位的碱度因素。这意味着有机碱度将是影响体系pH、二氧化碳分压（pCO2）和文石饱和指数的主要因素。通过对这两个系统的有机碱度进行河流末端研究，这些科学家将为整个海洋学界提供工具，以评估其他沿海系统中有机碱度的缓冲能力，以及这些系统可能如何应对酸化。

Estuaries are bodies of water formed where rivers meet the ocean, and are important ecosystems that provide protected environments and abundant food for fish and shellfish to reproduce. Many estuary systems are under pressure by changing atmospheric and oceanic conditions, as well as impacts on the rivers that empty into them. Scientists from the University of New Hampshire and the University of South Florida propose that the total alkalinity of some coastal systems, influenced by river runoff, may contain a large fraction of organic acids that have been previously ignored and may play a role in the acid-base chemistry of the estuary. This project would focus on understanding the organic and inorganic acid-base chemistry in estuaries. The project will support a PhD student and several undergraduate students, as well as high school interns from minority communities, broadening participation in the ocean sciences. Also, the monitoring and outreach capacity of a regional wild fishery conservation group will be enhanced, allowing the public to be more fully informed on the effect of ongoing estuarine changes on fisheries.This project will be a comparison study of two estuary-plume systems to examine the exact buffering impact of organic alkalinity on the acid-base properties of coastal systems. The Pleasant (Maine) and St. John (Canada) estuaries represent extremes of river acid-base systems, where the Pleasant is comprised mostly of organic alkalinity and the St. John has a small organic alkalinity fraction. It is hypothesized by these scientists that some coastal regions may experience organic alkalinity as the dominant alkalinity factor in the total alkalinity distribution. This would mean that organic alkalinity would be the dominant factor affecting system pH, pCO2 (partial pressure of carbon dioxide), and the saturation index of aragonite. By doing this river endmember study into organic alkalinity of these two systems, these scientists will provide the tools for the entire oceanographic community to assess the buffering capability of organic alkalinity in other coastal systems and how the systems are likely to respond to acidification.