River and ocean end members are heavily populated areas subjected to powerful physical forces and vulnerable to the impacts of human activity and climate change. Estuaries buffer the ocean from the effects of land loads of reactive nitrogen, but can also enhance microbial production of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen dioxide. This project focuses on understanding the carbon, nitrogen, and metal dynamics of the Columbia River estuary. The team is interested in learning more about the influence of forcing events on microbial populations involved in nutrient and energy flows in the Columbia River estuary, as previous studies suggest microbial population structure and activities differ during periods of high- and low-nutrient and energy fluxes in the estuary.
Proposer’s Name: Holly Simon, Oregon Health & Science University