Project: Groundwater Discharge, Benthic Coupling and Microalgal Community Structure in a Shallow Coastal Lagoon

Acronym/Short Name:LittleLagoonGroundwater
Project Duration:2010-03 - 2014-08
Geolocation:southern Alabama, east of Mobile

Description

 

This project investigated the link between submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and microalgal dynamics in Little Lagoon, Alabama.  In contrast to most near-shore environments, it is fully accessible; has no riverine inputs; and is large enough to display ecological diversity (c. 14x 0.75 km) yet small enough to be comprehensively sampled on appropriate temporal and spatial scales. The PIs have previously demonstrated that the lagoon is a hot-spot for toxic blooms of the diatom Pseudo-nitzchia spp. that are correlated with discharge from the surficial aquifer. This project assessed variability in SGD, the dependence of benthic nutrient fluxes on microphytobenthos (MPB) abundance and productivity, and the response of the phytoplankton to nutrient enrichment and dilution. The work integrated multiple temporal and spatial scales and demonstrated both the relative importance of SGD vs. benthic recycling as a source of nutrients, and the role of SGD in structuring the microalgal community. (paraphrased from Award abstract)


DatasetLatest Version DateCurrent State
Denitrification and DNRA data from Little Lagoon, Alabama collected from 2012-20132018-01-16Final no updates expected
15NO3 data, acetylene reduction assays, and NH4+ diffusion average summaries from samples collected in Little Lagoon, Alabama from 2012 to 2013.2018-01-16Final no updates expected
HS- and NH4+ porewater data from Little Lagoon, Alabama collected from 2012-2013.2018-01-16Final no updates expected
Number of gene markers identified in sediment in samples from Little Lagoon, Alabama collected from 2012-2013.2018-01-16Final no updates expected
Sediment oxygen demand and ammonium, nitrate plus nitrate, and phosphate flux data from Little Lagoon, Alabama2018-01-16Final no updates expected
Potential denitrification and N2 fixation from slurry assays from Little Lagoon, Alabama collected from 2012-20132018-01-16Final no updates expected
Physical environmental data from Little Lagoon, Alabama collected from 2012-2013.2018-01-16Final no updates expected
Radium isotope results from groundwater wells around Little Lagoon, Alabama from 2010-2012 (LittleLagoonGroundwater project)2014-11-05Final with updates expected
Radon isotope results from groundwater wells around Little Lagoon, Alabama from 2010-2012 (LittleLagoonGroundwater project)2014-10-13Final with updates expected
Radium isotope results from surface waters of several sites around Little Lagoon, Alabama from 2010-2012 (LittleLagoonGroundwater project)2014-09-16Final with updates expected

People

Principal Investigator: William C. Burnett
Florida State University EOAS (FSU - EOAS)

Principal Investigator: Behzad Mortazavi
Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL)

Contact: William C. Burnett
Florida State University EOAS (FSU - EOAS)

BCO-DMO Data Manager: Ms Dicky Allison
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI BCO-DMO)