Our research focuses on:
• Groundwater nitrate cycling in riparian zones
• Groundwater nitrate cycling in salt marshes
• Enhanced infiltration systems to enhance nitrate removal
• Advancing watershed nitrogen management at the local level
Why do we study nitrate processing?
• Nitrate leaching to
groundwater is greatly increased by human inputs, such as fertilizer
use
and leaking septic systems.
• There is evidence of high nitrate concentrations
in groundwater all over the North East US.
• Excessive nitrogen (N) can cause unsightly algae
blooms in coastal ponds and estuaries which consume available
oxygen
and
cause other
organisms to die.
• Great uncertainty surrounds N cycling within coastal watersheds.
Not all N entering the watershed can be traced, leaving unidentified
N sinks. The fate of the remainder N is a major challenge to
coastal managers.
