Cara Fiore

Cara Fiore

Apr 17, 2015

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Update on Sample Analysis- April 17

Hi Everyone,

We wanted to let you know that we have finished extracting dissolved organic matter from our water samples and we are preparing to run these extracts on our instruments (mass spectrometers). We are having an issue with one of our instruments but we are working on the problem and it should be running again soon - we will keep you posted on our progress. Of course, feel free to comment or ask questions!

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  • Peter Gottesman
    Peter GottesmanBacker
    Hi Cara, What is the problem with the instrument, more specifically? Thanks, Smedly
    Apr 17, 2015
  • Cara Fiore
    Cara FioreResearcher
    The sensitivity of the instrument is lower than usual. We can see this when we run a set of standards that we regularly analyze. What is likely causing this drop in sensitivity is something in most of the samples that we analyze in this lab - salt! Most samples we run are from the ocean and this can cause some build up of salt in the instrument, even with regular cleaning. As you might imagine, handling and cleaning the inner workings of the instrument is a delicate task, fortunately we have a fantastic manager of the facility who is working on getting the instrument running at optimum sensitivity again. Thanks for the question.
    Apr 20, 2015

About This Project

Sponges are nature's filtration systems; they can filter up to 50,000 times their own volume in a day. Changes to coral ecosystems from climate change make reef sponges increasingly important. This project takes one of the first steps to explore the impact of sponges on nutrient availability on coral reefs.

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