Nitrogen loading and the associated eutrophication is a major threat to the ecological and economic integrity of our nation's estuaries. In spite of the critical nature of this problem, we currently lack the necessary conceptual models to predict the impact of eutrophication on estuarine ecosystems. This is particularly true for shallow estuaries, where complex benthic processes often drive overall system function. Benthic invertebrates play an important role in biogeochemical cycling in estuarine sediments, particularly of carbon and nitrogen. However, these same invertebrate species also tend to disappear with the onset of the persistent hypoxia associated with eutrophication. In this research, an early career, female scientist at Rochester Institute of Technology, a RUI institution, will test the fundamental premise that benthic organisms are not simply the subjects of eutrophication, but can also exert strong controls on its progression in shallow estuaries. To this end, she will combine field studies with laboratory experiments designed to examine the reciprocal interactions between benthic community structure, sediment biogeochemistry and micro- and macroalgal growth in West Falmouth Harbor (WFH), a shallow estuary on Cape Cod that is currently undergoing accelerated nitrogen loading. Specific objectives are to: (1) determine the distribution and abundance of benthic fauna across an eutrophication gradient; (2) determine the impact of faunal diversity and functional group on sediment biogeochemical processes, particularly those related to organic carbon and ntirogen removal; (3) determine the feedbacks between faunal diversity and functional group, microalgal growth and macroalgal growth and persistence, (4) evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of scaling from microcosms to ecosystems and (5) integrate results with ongoing research efforts from an NSF funded Biocomplexity award so that the role of invertebrates is included in an overall mechanistic understanding of eutrophication in shallow estuaries and in ongoing efforts to create a spatially explicit ecosystem model of WFH that can be applied to eutrophication of shallow estuaries in general. A central feature of the broader impacts of the award is that the research will take place at a primarily undergraduate institution and will greatly enhance the local research environment. Undergraduate and Masters students will be provided with multiple opportunities for hands on involvement in large-scale, cutting edge research designed to examine pertinent environmental questions. Research results will be fed directly into modeling efforts that intends to inform managers and policy makers on control of estuarine eutrophication
