Science Serving Maryland's Coasts

R/P-49

Environmental controls of denitrification in estuarine sediments

Principal Investigator: 

Jeffrey C. Cornwell

Start/End Year: 

2000 to 2002

Institution: 

Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Co-Principal investigator: 

Todd Kana, Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Topic(s): 

Description: 

In the lower Choptank estuary, we will identify the influence of temporal variation in organic matter loading and bottom water dissolved oxygen concentrations upon the rate of coupled nitrification/denitrification. We will compare our understanding of the sediment nitrogen cycle in the Choptank River to that in other Chesapeake subestuaries with different rates or sources of nitrogen inputs. Finally we will compare our understanding of the sediment nitrogen cycle in the Choptank River to that in other Chesapeake subestuaries with different rates or sources of nitrogen inputs.