Dr. Peter Sampou is a Research Associate at the Horn Point Environmental Lab on the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay. The Lab is one three campuses of the University of Maryland's Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies. Dr. Sampou proposes acquisition of a Coulometric TCO2 (total carbon dioxide) analyzer, which will complement the dissolved oxygen/carbon analyzer recently acquired by the Lab. The analyses performed by this instrument are essential to studies of carbon flow through the estuarine environment. As fertilizers and other nutrients are fed into coastal waters, plant life blooms and may deplete the water of dissolved oxygen that is essential for animal life. This process of eutrophication threatens the commercial value of estuaries and diminishes their overall environmental quality. The carbon dioxide analyzer will greatly enhance many ongoing studies of the Chesapeake Bay at Horn Point Environmental Lab, and will add to our understanding of the fragile coastal margin.
