Humans influence the marine nitrogen cycle through their additions of nitrogen to the coastal environment, mostly from agricultural fertilizers and waste treatment facilities, leading to eutrophication and oxygen depletion. With novel isotopic tools, GSO researchers follow the movement of nitrogen through marine waters, helping guide intelligent wastewater management policies.
How do estuaries respond to changes in nutrient inputs and oxygen deficiency (hypoxia)? Will reductions in nutrient enrichment decrease the extent and frequency of hypoxia? Strong collaborations between GSO researchers (MERL), the RI Department of Environmental Management, the Narragansett Bay Commission, and the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve bolster the efforts to understand questions about the ecological effects of nutrient manipulations in local marine waters. Water quality data collected through the Narragansett Bay Fixed Site Monitoring Network (NBFSMN) of monitoring sites helps managers of sewage plants appropriately regulate nitrogen release into Narragansett Bay.
GSO microbiologists perform analyses to detect the presence of sewage-derived bacteria and identify their source to foster effective management practices and provide managers with key information to efficiently remedy bacterial contamination in coastal waters.
Watershed Counts is a collaborative initiative of sixty partners, facilitated by URI’s Coastal Institute with the Rhode Island Environmental Monitoring Collaborative and the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, working together to evaluate the conditions and trends of the land and waters of the Narragansett Bay and its watersheds. Teams of scientists review data and develop indicators to provide guidance in sustainable land use development along the coastline. This database of historical and current water quality data and assessments in Narragansett Bay and its watershed is made publicly available.
Collaborations with the National Park Service facilitate monitoring the long-term changes in salt marsh vegetation and habitat function in response to natural and human-induced factors.