Nitrogen Cycling

The Nitrogen Cycling group is exploring how nitrogen cycling is impacted by oil spills through denitrification in salt marshes, seagrass beds and unvegetated sediments. Changes in the species composition (taxonomic diversity) and density of primary producers, changes in sediment structure or changes in microbial community composition all potentially affect denitrification rates. The Nitrogen group hypothesizes that the resiliency of biogeochemical processes (e.g. denitrification) in coastal sediments after an oil spill is determined by the amount and quality (i.e., weathered vs. unweathered) of the oil. This in turn affects the genetic diversity of the microbial community due to the residence time of the oil in the sediment. Field collections have included sediment cores in marsh, intertidal and seagrass sites on the Chandeleur Islands. Mesocosm and smaller scale laboratory experiments that will measure denitrification rates and microbial populations are also being performed on collected cores to examine resiliency and resistance to oil disturbances.

Presentations and Publications

• Denitrification rates in Deepwater Horizon impacted salt marshes. Authors: Hinshaw, S.; Kleinhuizen, A.; Rajan S.; Flournoy, N.Y.; Crawford, P.; Sobecky, P.A.; Mortazavi, B.
  Poster presentation at: Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference (Feb 1-4, 2016)
  

• A temporal study of nitrogen cycling in a Deepwater-Horizon impacted coastal marsh system. Authors: Crawford, P.; Flournoy, N.Y.; Taylor, C.; Hinshaw, S.E.; Kleinhuizen, A.; Sobecky, P.A.; Mortazavi, B.
  Poster presentation at: 2016 Alabama Water Resources Conference (Sept 8-9, 2016)
  

• Metagenomic insights into microbial communities response to oiling events in Northern Gulf of Mexico saltmarsh ecosystems. Authors: Flournoy, N.Y.; Rajan, S.; Taylor, C.; Crawford, P.; Mortazavi, B.; Sobecky, P.A.
  Poster presentation at: 2016 Alabama Water Resources Conference (Sept 8-9, 2016)
  

• A temporal study of nitrogen cycling in a Deepwater-Horizon impacted coastal marsh system Authors: Kleinhuizen, A.; Crawford, P.; Flournoy, N.Y.; Taylor, C.; Hinshaw, S.E.; Sobecky, P.A.; Mortazavi, B..
  Poster presentation at: MS/AL Bays and Bayous Symposium (Nov 30-Dec 1, 2016)