About This Project
Seagrass stores excess carbon dioxide into estuarine sediments. The Gulf of Mexico is a major basin for seagrass carbon storage. We need to find areas within estuaries where seagrass creates efficient carbon storage for offsetting atmospheric carbon buildup. By sampling seagrass carbon across an estuary in river, shoreline, midbay, and ocean pass ecosystems, to find most efficient storage, we will apply our findings to future seagrass restoration plans with excess carbon storage plans.
Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) forms a key carbon storage area. Geologically, carbon called “ fossil” fuel (gas, oil) was originally stored this way. Shallow-water plants exuded carbon into sediments. And, eventually the carbon was compressed into oil. We complete this cycle by creating seagrass in formerly decimated areas, which acts to change the excess fossil fuel carbon dioxide into stored sedimentary carbon. 38 states drain carbon into the GOM basin through rivers. GOM has the largest seagrass extent in the USA (near 5000 sq miles). Restored seagrass stores almost double natural seagrass. Climate Change solutions include lowering atmospheric CO2 by storage. Rain forests, which have a third less carbon storage, were thought to be key, but are not as effective at carbon storage.
What is the significance of this project?
Globally, scientists search for solutions to rapidly diminish atmospheric CO2 endangering humanity from fossil fuel burning to dangerously high quantities, changing global Climate in negative events. Because oceans absorb atmospheric carbon, lowering of atmospheric and oceanic carbon is globally significant.
Three pathways can occur:
1. We cut CO2 emissions at the source.
2. We use much less fossil fuel.
3. We store atmospheric/oceanic CO2 into the sediment by restoring living plant ecosystems.
Our restoration of 1000’s of seagrass acres to solve climate change is unique and realistic. Seagrass stores large amounts of carbon into the sediment. We created techniques to restore large-scale seagrass meadows globally.
What are the goals of the project?
To plan the most effective carbon storage, we need to compare the seagrass carbon within estuarine locations in decimated estuaries throughout the GOM. The carbon intensity variation among types of seagrass sites are to be found in this study. We explore carbon stored by seagrass meadows measuring across types of sites in one model GOM estuary (e.g. Charlotte Harbor, FL) from river mouth to ocean pass. We will analyze carbon storage differences among sites including near river mouths, near terrestrial shorelines, central areas, and near ocean passes within estuaries. We commence sampling with available funds in Fall 2016. From the results we will create information for most effective GOM estuarine seagrass restoration carbon.
Budget
Now, we know seagrass restoration stores substantial carbon into the sediment. Our new data shows restored seagrasses is double the carbon of natural seagrasses. When a seagrass meadow is killed it leaks carbon into the marine water, which can be halted by planting seagrass on top. Where within an estuary are we most effective in restoring carbon? The more funds we have the more detailed areas we can sample. We have equipment but need funds for boat, drying oven at field & field labor for the Gulf estuary. The boat rental allows measurements across estuary from river mouth and terrestrial shorelines through the middle to the ocean pass. The drying oven allows measurement of carbon vs. non-carbon components of the sediment including a balance used with the oven. Glassware suited for drying ovens in the sample size is required for analyses. The labor of field sampling and analysis of carbon allows us the time to work on this key part of the project.
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Meet the Team
Affiliates
Anitra Thorhaug
When I was a child I continually crawled into Lake Michigan before I could walk. I was always happiest swimming long distances. My first scuba dive was in Mexico when everyone panicked due to sharks, but me. I finished the dive happily. When I chose among vocations, marine science seemed ideal, doing research right away. I trained as a marine biologist, plant ecophysiologist and a chemical oceanographer. I worked throughout the tropical world teaching nations how to restore their seagrass helping with their nearshore pollution problems (Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Oceania, & Africa).
Seagrass restoration in large scale is a set of techniques I invented after nuclear power plants impacted SE Florida seagrass. My work on the rehabilitation of coastal ecosystems has a substantial influence on national & international conservation policies. For this restoration work I received awards from the United Nations Environmental Program Gold Medal in 1982, the UNEP Global 500 list in 1987. In 1991 I received the Earth Trustee Award from UNCED and was featured in UNEP's Who's Who Women in Environment in 2006. Also I received a Lifetime Legacy Award from Botanical Society of America, a Lindbergh Award numerous national and international awards and grants, including an honorary doctorate by the Philippines Women's University. I work with Yale's School of Forestry & Environmental Studies in the Institute of Sustainable Forestry Eco-physiological Labs. I have held a series of professorships at leading Universities (Univ. California Berkeley, Stanford Univ. Hopkins Marine Station, Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at the Univ. Miami, and Florida International University). See: Wikipedia Anitra Thorhaug
Lab Notes
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Additional Information
Our overarching goal is to help Climate Change solutions diminish excess carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Sub-question, where in what type of site in each estuary do we most effectively restore seagrass for carbon storage? Thus, this immediate experiment is a transect across a Gulf of Mexico estuary excavating seagrass sediment cores at a series of differing types of seagrass sites to ascertain if there are significant differences between seagrass carbon near river mouths, or in the areas near marshes or mangroves vs. central estuary seagrass areas vs. seagrass areas near the GOM open ocean pass. This gives us background information to formulate our master plan for where in the decimated estuaries additional seagrass restoration most effectively recovers CO2. Seagrass restoration adds tens of thousands of fish (50 species) and hundreds of thousands of invertebrates (crabs, shrimp, scallops, etc.) (1000 species) when restored. Our very recent technology we used for highly polluted areas in the Gulf of Mexico can restore seagrass effectively
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