Collaborative Research: IRES Track I: U.S. - Cameroon Collaboration Investigating Anthropogenic Perturbations on Carbon Cycling in an Urbanized Tropical Estuary

这项提议由OISE、EPSCoR和GEO项目共同资助。这个IRES项目将支持美国学生，并在西非喀麦隆大西洋海岸的热带河口(杜阿拉河口)提供海洋地球化学和碳循环方面的国际教育、培训和研究。在这项研究中，来自博士授予机构特拉华大学和非博士授予机构海斯堡州立大学的教职员工和学生将与喀麦隆杜阿拉大学和雅温得大学的教职员工和学生合作。在接下来的三年里，9名本科生和3名理工科学生将前往喀麦隆进行实地实地研究，重点调查农业、城市化、工业和航运活动对杜阿拉河口碳循环的影响。其目的是(1)记录水柱和沉积物中的污染，以及(2)评估人类活动和污染是否以及如何影响水柱和沉积物中二氧化碳的产生。学生获得的数据将为评估杜阿拉河口在碳循环中的作用提供重要信息，并为在当地、地区甚至全球范围内对碳的移动进行建模提供有价值的信息。这个IRES项目将为本科生和研究生提供机会，以学徒式模式进行教师指导的动手研究。该项目的不同方面将构成本科生研究课题和研究生论文的基础。我们IRES项目的一个目标是吸引未被充分代表的少数族裔学生，并指导他们培养自信、独立和批判性思维技能，这些技能是在研究和地球科学职业生涯中脱颖而出所必需的。通过与喀麦隆同行的互动，美国学生将丰富他们的文化经验，建立个人和专业网络，并建立关系，这些关系将构成未来国际研究合作的核心。学生项目的结果将为设计利用和保护河口资源的可持续管理计划提供科学依据。河口的碳是全球碳循环的组成部分。美国碳循环研究计划将河口对大气的碳贡献确定为一个关键的研究领域。许多关于碳循环的研究已经在温带地区的河口进行。到目前为止，还没有关于非洲热带河口碳循环的研究，关于农业、城市化、工业和航运活动污染这些河口如何影响碳循环的了解就更少了。很少有河口研究设在非洲，尽管沿海人口众多，而且河口生态系统发生了广泛的人为变化。美国碳循环研究计划将碳源和进出河口的通量确定为一个关键的研究领域，因为河口连接着陆地、海洋和大气的碳库。然而，撒哈拉以南非洲的热带河口接收的有机碳和污染物比温带和高纬度河口多得多，在当地、区域甚至全球碳循环中的作用尚不清楚。为了填补这一知识空白，美国学生和他们的喀麦隆学生将在为期六周和三年的时间里进行实地研究，以阐明用营养物质(如硝酸盐)和金属(镉)污染杜阿拉河口的人为活动(农业、城市化、工业和航运)如何影响水柱和沉积物中的碳循环。该项目的预期结果将为评估杜阿拉河口在碳循环中的作用提供重要信息，并为地方、区域甚至全球范围的碳循环建模提供宝贵的数据。学生们将检验这一假设，即杜阿拉河口的人为污染增加了水柱和沉积物中的生物生产力，改变了碳的循环，并增加了二氧化碳进入大气的通量。通过与喀麦隆同行的互动，美国学生将丰富他们的文化经验，建立个人和专业网络，并建立关系，这些关系将构成未来国际研究合作的核心。最后，学生项目的结果将提供有助于设计河口资源利用和保护的可持续管理计划的科学意见。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The proposal is co-funded by OISE, EPSCoR and GEO programs.This IRES project will support US students and provide international education, training and research in marine geochemistry and carbon cycling in a tropical estuary (Douala Estuary) in the Atlantic coast of Cameroon, West Africa. During this study, faculty and students from the University of Delaware, a PhD granting institution and Fort Hays State University, a non-PhD granting institution will partner with faculty and students from the University of Douala and the University of Yaound? 1in Cameroon. Over the next three years, 9 undergraduates and 3 MS students will travel to Cameroon to conduct hands-on, field-based research that is focused on investigating the effects of agriculture, urbanization, industrial and shipping activities on carbon cycling in the Douala Estuary. The objectives are to (1) document pollution in the water column and sediments and (2) assess if and how the human activities and pollution affect carbon dioxide production in water column and sediments. Data acquired by the students will provide important information to assess the role of the Douala Estuary in carbon cycling and provide valuable information to model the movement of carbon at the local, regional and even global scale.This IRES project will provide undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to conduct faculty mentored, hands-on research in an apprenticeship-type model. Different aspects of the project will form the basis of undergraduate research topics and graduate student theses. A goal of our IRES program is to attract underrepresented minority students and mentor them to develop self-confidence, independent and critical thinking skills necessary to excel in a research and in careers in the geosciences. By interacting with Cameroonian peers, the US students will enrich their cultural experience, build personal and professional networks and establish relationships that will form the core of future international research collaborations. The results of the students' projects will provide scientific input that will be useful for designing sustainable management programs for the use and protection of estuarine resources.Carbon in estuaries are an integral part of the global carbon cycle. The US Carbon Cycle Research Program identified carbon contributions from estuaries to the atmosphere as a critical area for research. Much research on carbon cycling has been conducted in estuaries in temperate regions. To date, there are no studies of carbon cycling in tropical estuaries of Africa and even less is known about how agriculture, urbanization, industrial and shipping activities polluting theses estuaries affect the carbon cycle. Few estuarine studies are based in Africa, despite the high human population along the coast and extensive human alteration of estuarine ecosystems. The US Carbon Cycle Research Program identified carbon sources and fluxes to and from estuaries as a critical area for research because estuaries link the terrestrial, ocean and atmospheric carbon reservoirs. Yet, the role in local, regional or even global carbon cycling from tropical estuaries in sub-Saharan Africa which receive far greater amounts of organic carbon and pollutants compared to temperate and high latitude estuaries is unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, for six weeks and over a three-year period, US students and their Cameroonian peers will conduct field based research to elucidate how anthropogenic activities (agriculture, urbanization, industrial and shipping) that pollute the Douala Estuary with nutrients (e.g., nitrates) and metals (Cadmium) affect carbon cycling in the water column and sediments. The anticipated results of this project will provide important information to assess the role of the Douala Estuary in carbon cycling and provide valuable data for carbon cycling modelling at the local, regional and even global scale. Students will test the hypothesis that anthropogenic pollution in the Douala Estuary increases bio-productivity in the water column and sediments, alters the cycling of carbon and increases the flux of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. By interacting with Cameroonian peers, the US students will enrich their cultural experience, build personal and professional networks and establish relationships that will form the core of future international research collaborations. Finally, the results of student projects will provide scientific input that is useful for designing sustainable management programs for the use and protection of estuarine resources.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.