| NSF Org: |
OCE Division Of Ocean Sciences |
| Recipient: |
|
| Initial Amendment Date: | July 20, 2016 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | February 27, 2019 |
| Award Number: | 1633951 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Cynthia Suchman
csuchman@nsf.gov (703)292-2092 OCE Division Of Ocean Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | August 1, 2016 |
| End Date: | July 31, 2020 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $311,667.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $337,914.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2019 = $26,247.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
|
| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
266 WOODS HOLE RD WOODS HOLE MA US 02543-1535 (508)289-3542 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
|
| Primary Place of Performance: |
266 Woods Hole Road Woods Hole MA US 02543-1501 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
|
| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
|
| Parent UEI: |
|
| NSF Program(s): | BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001920DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
|
| Program Element Code(s): |
|
| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
This project will develop a quantitative understanding of the factors controlling carbon cycling in seagrass meadows that will improve our ability to quantify their potential as blue (ocean) carbon sinks and predict their future response to climate change, including sea level rise, ocean warming and ocean acidification. The research will advance a new generation of bio-optical-geochemical models and tools (ECHOES) that have the potential to be transform our ability to measure and predict carbon dynamics in shallow water systems. The award will also be used to train the next generation of young scientists by supporting the research of an early career scientist, two Ph.D. students, at least 2 undergraduate students, and at least two interns from the Ocean Lakes High School (Va. Beach) Math & Science Academy, under the combined supervision of the PIs. All students will participate in experimental design, implementation and data analysis and will present the findings of their research at major international scientific meetings each year as well as publishing their results in top-ranked peer reviewed journals. PI Zimmerman maintains an ongoing outreach collaboration with the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center to facilitate the development of educational interpretation and programming from this project that will be specifically targeted to the >700,000 Aquarium visitors annually. The physical setting of the Aquarium will be used as a forum to engage the visitors in dialogue about the broader issue of climate change with Aquarium staff and volunteers. Zimmerman is collaborating with the Virginia Aquarium to help design and implement additional educational programs, resources, and exhibits including the development a new Chesapeake Bay tank that will house living seagrasses. The results from this project will be incorporated into Virginia Aquarium's year-long Mentoring Young Scientists program and as standards-based educational materials for use at the Aquarium in programs for schools, scouts and general audiences. At various times throughout project, the PIs and students will participate in the Virginia Aquarium's Speaking of Science lecture series, which are free to general public to help connect our research with the local community.
The study will utilize cutting-edge methods for evaluating oxygen and carbon exchange (Eulerian and eddy covariance techniques) combined with biomass, sedimentary, and water column measurements to develop and test numerical models that can be scaled up to quantify the dynamics of carbon cycling and sequestration in seagrass meadows in temperate and tropical environments of the West Atlantic continental margin that encompass both siliciclastic and carbonate sediments. The comparative analysis across latitudinal and geochemical gradients will address the relative contributions of different species and geochemical processes to better constrain the role of seagrass carbon sequestration to global biogeochemical cycles. Specifically the research will quantify: (i) the relationship between C stocks and standing biomass for different species with different life histories and structural complexity, (ii) the influence of above- and below-ground metabolism on carbon exchange, and (iii) the influence of sediment type (siliciclastic vs. carbonate) on Blue Carbon storage. Seagrass biomass, growth rates, carbon content and isotope composition (above- and below-ground), organic carbon deposition and export will be measured. Sedimentation rates and isotopic composition of PIC, POC, and iron sulfide precipitates, as well as porewater concentrations of dissolved sulfide, CO2, alkalinity and salinity will be determined in order to develop a bio-optical-geochemical model that will predict the impact of seagrass metabolism on sediment geochemical processes that control carbon cycling in shallow waters. Model predictions will be validated against direct measurements of DIC and O2 exchange in seagrass meadows, enabling the investigators to scale-up the density-dependent processes to predict the impacts of seagrass distribution and density on carbon cycling and sequestration across the submarine landscape.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
Note:
When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external
site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a
charge during the embargo (administrative interval).
Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from
this site.
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.
Overview
This research developed a quantitative understanding of key factors that control carbon cycling in seagrass meadows, increasing our ability to quantify their potential as blue carbon sinks, or their ability to store carbon absorbed from the air. It utilized cutting-edge methods for evaluating oxygen and carbon exchange (gradient exchange and eddy covariance techniques) combined with biomass, sediment, and water column measurements to develop numerical models that can be scaled up to quantify carbon cycling and storage in seagrass meadows. This comparative analysis across latitudinal and geochemical gradients addressed the relative contributions of different species and geochemical processes to better constrain the role of seagrass carbon sequestration to global biogeochemical cycles. Specifically, this research quantified: (i) the relationship between C stocks and standing biomass for different species with different life histories and structural complexity, (ii) the influence of above- and below-ground metabolism on carbon exchange, and (iii) the influence of sediment type (siliciclastic vs. carbonate) on blue carbon storage. Sedimentation rates and isotopic composition of inorganic carbon, organic carbon, and iron sulfide precipitates, as well as porewater concentrations of dissolved sulfide, carbon dioxide, alkalinity and salinity enabled the development of a bio-optical-geochemical model that predicts the impact of seagrass metabolism on sediment geochemical processes that control carbon cycling in shallow waters. Model predictions were validated against direct measurements of carbon and oxygen exchange in seagrass meadows, enabling scaling of density-dependent processes to predict the impacts of seagrass distribution and density on carbon cycling and storage.
Significance
This research developed a quantitative understanding of the controls and drivers of carbon cycling in temperate and tropical seagrass meadows that increases our fundamental knowledge of carbon cycling in shallow coastal environments, generally, and increases our ability to quantify their potential as blue carbon sinks. This project advanced a new generation of bio-optical-geochemical models and tools (gradient exchange and eddy covariance techniques) that have the potential to transform our ability to measure and predict carbon dynamics in shallow water systems. To date, the results of this research have been disseminated through 7 peer-reviewed publications, 21 presentations at international meetings, numerous local meetings and presentations, and videos distributed through social media.
Broader Impacts
A major goal of this project was the training of young scientists. This work supported the research of an early career scientist, a postdoc, two Ph.D. students, and 6 undergraduate students, under the combined supervision of the PIs. Two of the undergraduate students were minority students and both have advanced to become PhD graduate students in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program. The postdoc has advanced to become faculty at WHOI. One undergraduate student presented their research at international meetings, in addition to other local meetings and events. Informational videos have been shared widely on the PIs webpage and social media, with one produced by a minority undergraduate student.
This research provides key knowledge about submerged aquatic vegetation and its role in the global carbon cycle, and how these environments may be impacted by future climate change. These results have been disseminated to the general public and policy makers through a number of avenues and data products: 1. the model and data products provide a visual key for coastal managers to understand the impact of environmental controls on coastal seagrass ecosystems and their societal benefits, such as carbon storage, 2. videos and video abstracts have been shared and viewed widely (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram), 3. these results and products can now be implemented across a large spatial scale due to our analyses that surveyed across a tropical to temperate gradient, and can be generalized and extrapolated to inform policy and decision making processes.
Last Modified: 01/13/2021
Modified by: Matthew Long
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.
