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Dr.
Paerl studies the nutrient production dynamics of aquatic microbes
at the base of the estuarine and coastal food webs, focusing on
environmental controls of algal (planktonic and benthic) production,
community structure, and assessment of the causes and consequences
of human-induced eutrophication of rivers, lakes, estuaries and
coastal oceans.
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Major
research projects underway include investigations of:
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-
sources of excess nitrogen to the Neuse River basin, estuary, and
nearshore waters
- the genetic potential and physiological controls of nitrogen fixation
in two temperate, N-limited estuaries
- impacts of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on phytoplankton dynamics
and eutrophication
- phytoplankton ecophysiological responses to changing N input dynamics
in the Neuse River
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Other
projects include collaborative studies of:
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- the
sources of "new" N responsible for new production and
eutrophication in the Neuse River Estuary
- the formation, function, and microbiology of modern day stromatolites
- the physical-chemical dynamics of cyanobacterial blooms in
the Baltic Sea
- Antarctic lake ice microbial consortia (see Fall '97 Endeavors
cover story, "Life on Ice")
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Dr.
Paerl's research is funded by:
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| NSF,
NOAA, Sea Grant, EPA, USDA, DEHNR, the N.C. Water Resources Research
Institute, the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund and Weyerhauser. |
| He
heads the Institute of Marine Sciences' Microbial Ecology/Nutrient
Cycling Laboratory and holds a joint appointment in the Department
of Environmental Sciences and Engineering. |
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