Poster Details
HYDROLOGIC EFFECTS ON PHOSPHORUS STORAGE IN A FRESHWATER ESTUARY
Excess phosphorus (P) in the Great Lakes stimulates toxic algal blooms that are harmful to the environment and human health. Research has shown that Great Lakes coastal wetlands are able to store a significant amount of P and help mitigate eutrophication. However, an individual wetland can spatially vary causing heterogeneous P storage. Our objective was to determine areas of maximum P storage in the sediments in Old Woman Creek estuary, an unaltered wetland along the coast of Lake Erie. We sampled sediment at 30 locations throughout the wetland at various depths and plant communities. Results from log-normalized data collected in June 2016 show a negative linear relationship between log water depth and log sediment total P (r2=-0.67). This suggests that P storage is higher in shallower areas. Additionally, log sediment total P shows a positive linear relationship with log total iron and log organic matter (r2=0.82 and r2=0.73, respectively) suggesting P is stored in the estuary by binding to iron oxides and in organic matter. Future analysis includes determining the variables that contribute to optimized P storage at shallower depths.
Bree Richardson (Primary Presenter/Author), Kent State University, bricha34@kent.edu;
Lauren Kinsman-Costello ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Kent State University, lkinsman@kent.edu;
Laura Johnson ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Heidelberg University, ljohnson@heidelberg.edu;
Kristin Arend ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Ohio Department of Natural Resources, kristin.arend@dnr.state.oh.us;