| NSF Org: |
OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP) |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | June 16, 2009 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 9, 2011 |
| Award Number: | 0838970 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Peter Milne
OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP) GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | July 1, 2009 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2014 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $314,610.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $348,731.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2010 = $29,943.00 FY 2011 = $4,178.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
216 MONTANA HALL BOZEMAN MT US 59717 (406)994-2381 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
216 MONTANA HALL BOZEMAN MT US 59717 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
ANT Organisms & Ecosystems, ARCTIC RESEARCH AND EDUCATION, Antarctic Education, EPSCoR Co-Funding |
| Primary Program Source: |
0100XXXXDB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.078 |
ABSTRACT
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) comprises a significant pool of Earth's organic carbon that dwarfs the amount present in living aquatic organisms. The properties and reactivity of DOM are not well defined, and the evolution of autochthonous DOM from its precursor materials in freshwater has not been observed. Recent sampling of a supraglacial stream formed on the Cotton Glacier in the Transantarctic Mountains revealed DOM that more closely resembles an assemblage of recognizable precursor organic compounds, based upon its UV-VIS and fluorescence spectra. It is suggested that the DOM from this water evolved over time to resemble materials present in marine and many inland surface waters. The transient nature of the system i.e., it reforms seasonally, also prevents any accumulation of the refractory DOM present in most surface waters. Thus, the Cotton Glacier provides us with a unique environment to study the formation of DOM from precursor materials. An interdisciplinary team will study the biogeochemistry of this progenitor DOM and how microbes modify it. By focusing on the chemical composition of the DOM as it shifts from precursor material to the more humified fractions, the investigators will relate this transition to bioavailability, enzymatic activity, community composition and microbial growth efficiency. This project will support education at all levels, K-12, high school, undergraduate, graduate and post-doc and will increase participation by under-represented groups in science. Towards these goals, the investigators have established relationships with girls' schools and Native American programs. Additional outreach will be carried out in coordination with PolarTREC, PolarPalooza, and if possible, an Antarctic Artist and Writer.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The Cotton Glacier, a natural laboratory for studying the evolution of dissolved organic matter
The supraglacial stream system on the Cotton Glacier, Antarctica provides opportunities to study the formation of autochthonous dissolved organic matter (DOM) that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. DOM is a complex mixture of organic carbon and nutrients that plays an important role in the global carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles. DOM is a carbon source for microbial metabolic activity, and is known to influence the fate of anthropogenic contaminants.
The Cotton Glacier serves as a natural laboratory for studying the formation of these microbially derived materials. We sampled the stream over three seasons in order to determine natural variations in the microbial community and the rates and pathways of DOM transformation.
This work is a collaboration between microbial ecologists, chemists, hydrologists, and engineers and has involved undergraduates, graduate students, post docs and tribal college students. We brought the excitement of Polar Science to a broad audience through several outreach projects, including the Crow Education Project, “Clues to the Cryosphere: Stories from the Ice” workshops, seminars, webinars and an exhibit booth at the National Science Teachers Association national meetings, and the National Parks Climate Change Challenge. We worked with local students in week long summer courses, visits to classrooms, and had an embedded teacher in the field with us through the Polar Trec program.
Last Modified: 10/23/2014
Modified by: Christine M Foreman
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