Stroud Water Research Center Inc

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: TEACHING ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY - MODEL MY WATERSHED

INTEGRATED DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR CRITICAL ZONE OBSERVATORIES

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: SI2-SSI: THE COMMUNITY-DRIVEN BIG CZ SOFTWARE SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATION AND ANALYSIS OF BIO- AND GEOSCIENCE DATA IN THE CRITICAL

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH - MODEL MY WATERSHED: DEVELOPING A CYBERLEARNING APPLICATION AND CURRICULA TO ENHANCE INTEREST IN STEM CAREERS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: META-ECOSYSTEMS AND THE UPSTREAM LEGACY: INFLUENCE OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER ON THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF STREAMBED B

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** HEALTH SOILS ARE CRITICAL TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. CURRENTLY, A VARIETY OF CONSERVATIVE FARMING PRACTICES ARE APPLIED TO AGRICULTURE SOILS TO PROMOTE SOIL HELATH. COVER CROPPING IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY USED APPROACH. HOWEVER, A MAJOR KNOWLEDGE GAP IS THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTING COVER CROPPING AND THE TIME THAT IT TAKES FOR POSITIVE EFFECTS TO BECOME NOTICEABLE. IN THIS PROJECT, OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW COVER CROPPING MODULATES SOIL HEALTH, CROP PERFORMANCE, AND MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES. BY APPLYING A SPACE-FOR-TIME APPROACH AND CONTROL-TREATMENT PAIRED DESIGN, WE WILL INVESTIGATE THE TIME SCALES AT WHICH COVER CROPPING CASCADES INTO MICROBIAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE (MAINLY OF BACTERIA, ARCHAEA AND FUNGI), THE ASSOCIATED NUTRIENT PROCESSING INCLUDING CARBON AND NITROGEN, SOIL HEALTH, AND CROP YIELDS.THE KEY QUESTIONS WE TRY TO ANSWER HERE ARE: HOW DO COVER CROPPING ALTER MICROBIAL COMPOSITION, SOIL HEALTH, AND CROP PERFORMANCE? AND AT WHAT TIME SCALES DO THESE EFFECTS MANIFEST? ARE SOIL HEALTH INDICES REFLECTIVE OF MICROBIAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION, AND DO RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THESE MEASURES VARY THROUGH TIME? WE WILL PARTINER WITH 48 FARMS (24 PAIRED FIELDS EACH YEAR FOR 2 YEARS) IN PENNSYLVANIA WITH TIME SINCE IMPLEMENTATION OF CONSERVATION PRACTICE RANGING 0-15+ YEARS. WE WILL (1) CHARACTERIZE DETAILED COMPOSITIONS OF SOIL MICROORGANISMS SUCH AS BACTERIA, ARCHAEA AND FUNGI; (2) MEASURE NITROGEN AND CARBON PROCESSES AND DYNAMICS WITH COVER CROPS IMPLEMENTED IN DIFFERENT DURATION OF YEARS; AND (3) SUTDY THE HOW COVER CROPPING IMPACT SOIL HEALTH MEASUREMENTS AND CROP PERFORMANCE. THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE ROBUST INFORMATIONON HOW COVER CROPPING CONTRIBUTES TO IMPROVEMENT OF MICROBIAL SOIL HEALTH AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. LESSONS FROM THIS STUDY WILL BE TRANSFERABLE TO A BROADER AGRICULTURE AUDIENCE AND FARMING COMMUNITIES. THIS STUDY WILL SUPPORT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION OF FOUR RESEARCHERS (TWO SENIOR AND TWO JUNIOR), ONE SOIL HEALTH COORDINATOR, FIVE TECHNICIANS, AND MULTIPLE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS.

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE GOALOF THIS PROJECTIS TO STUDYHOW THE USE OF BIOSOLIDSMAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEGRADATION OFWATER QUALITY IN AGROECOSYSTEMS. BIOSOLIDS, DERIVED FROM THE SOLID ORGANIC WASTE REMOVED AT WATER TREATMENT PLANTS,ARE A VERY VALUABLE SOIL AMENDMENT, HOWEVER, THEY CAN BE CONTAMINATED WITHPFAS (PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES), A CLASS OF EMERGING CONTAMINANTS THAT CAN BE HARMFUL TO HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT. THEREFORE, THEIR USE IN FARMSCAN RESULT IN THE CONTAMINATION OF SOILS,WATER AND FOOD. OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WE WILL STUDY THE TRANSPORT AND TRANSFORMATION OF BIOSOLID-DERIVED PFAS IN SOILS AND RIVERS USINGACOMBINATION OF LABORATORY AND FIELD EXPERIMENTS. WE WILL ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THEFOLLOWING SPECIFIC QUESTIONS: Q1. WHAT ARE TEMPORAL DYNAMICS DRIVING CONCENTRATION AND FLUXES OF PFAS IN BIOSOLID-TREATED SOILS AND THE AGRO-FLUVIAL SYSTEMS DRAINING THEM?, Q2. HOW ARE PFAS DYNAMICS IN FLUVIAL SYSTEMS RELATED TO ORGANIC MATTER CONCENTRATION AND CHEMICAL CHARACTER?, AND Q3. HOW DO TEMPERATURE REGIMES AFFECT THE EXPORT OF PFAS FROM BIOSOLID-TREATED SOILS TO THE HYDROLOGIC NETWORK?OUR PROPOSED RESEARCH HAS BROAD RELEVANCE TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS AND REGULATORS; OUTCOMES OF OUR WORK WILL INFORM BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT TO MINIMIZE RISKS TO AGROECOSYSTEM HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY. EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY MANAGING BIOSOLIDS AS A SOIL AMENDMENT IS VITAL TO ENSURING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIES.

LTREB: TRAJECTORY FOR THE RECOVERY OF STREAM ECOSYSTEM STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION DURING REFORESTATION

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INTEGRATION OF PHYSIOLOGICAL, LIFE-HISTORY, AND MACRO-ECOLOGICAL APPROACHES FOR UNDERSTANDING THERMAL LIMITATION IN AQUATIC I

NUTRIENT EXPORT FROM RIVER WATERSHEDS IS LARGELY DEPENDENT ON SEDIMENT PLUMES OCCURRING DURING STORMFLOW EVENTS. AND YET, BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL WITHIN AND DURING SEDIMENT PLUMES HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED AND UNDERSTUDIED. SEDIMENT PLUMES MOBILIZE LARGE AMOUNTS OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS PROVIDING EXTENSIVE SURFACE AREA FOR MICROBIAL ACTIVITY, AND THUS OMISSION OF BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL IN SEDIMENT PLUMES MAY HAVE SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ON OUR MODELED ESTIMATIONS OF WATERSHED NUTRIENT EXPORT TO COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS. HERE, WE PROPOSE TO ASSESS BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN (N) REMOVAL (DENITRIFICATION) IN SEDIMENT PLUMES AND ITS POTENTIAL INFLUENCES ON WATERSHED NITROGEN EXPORT. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL WE HAVE DESIGNED A THREE-STEP PROCESS COMBINING LABORATORY MESOCOSMS, REACH-SCALE MONITORING, AND WATERSHED MODELING APPROACHES. FIRST, LIMITING FACTORS OF DENITRIFICATION RATES IN SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS WILL BE EVALUATED IN MESOCOSMS. THEN, RESULTS AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM MESOCOSMS EXPERIMENTATION WILLBE EMPLOYED TO MEASURE AMBIENT RATES OF DENITRIFICATION IN SEDIMENT PLUMES THROUGHOUT MULTIPLE STORMFLOW EVENTS AND LCOATIONS. TOTAL N LOSS BY DENITRIFICATION IN SEDIMENT PLUMES WILL BE SCALED UP PER STORM EVENT AND WATERSHED AREA AND COMPARED TO THE AMOUNT OF N EXPORTED. FINALLY, PREDICTIVE REGRESSION RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS (E.G., TURBIDITY, TEMPERATURE, PARTICLE SIZE) AND AMBIENT DENITRIFICATION RATES WILL BE EVALUATED AND TESTED TO ASSESS THEIR VALIDITY AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR MODELLING N PROCESSES. WE BELIEVE THIS RESEARCH CAN HELP IMPROVE THE CHARACTERIZATION OF NUTRIENT PROCESSES IN MANAGEMENT MODELS BY BETTER QUANTIFICATION OF NUTRIENT AND SEDIMENT LOADINGS ALLOWING BETTER DECISION MAKING IN TERMS OF WHERE TO PLACE BMPS IN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS.

LTREB RENEWAL: TRAJECTORY FOR THE RECOVERY OF STREAM ECOSYSTEM STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION DURING REFORESTATION

RESOLVING SEDIMENT CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN RIVERS AND ESTUARIES BY TRACKING PARTICLES WITH THEIR MICROBIAL GENETIC SIGNATURE

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INTEGRATING SPATIAL COMPUTING TO ENHANCE ELEMENTARY ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE INSTRUCTION -CLEAN WATER RESOURCES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE LIFE OF RURAL COMMUNITIES. SET IN THE CONTEXT OF LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES IN WEST VIRGINIA AND DELAWARE, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO FOSTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF LOCAL WATERSHED ECOSYSTEMS, ADDRESSING CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES WHILE SPARKING INTEREST IN ENVIRONMENTAL-STEM (E-STEM) CAREERS. TO ACHIEVE THESE AIMS, THE PROJECT ENHANCES AN EXISTING SHARED WATERS CURRICULUM BY INTEGRATING LOCAL OUTDOOR LEARNING WITH NEW TOOLS INCLUDING AUGMENTED REALITY, MIXED REALITY, SIMULATIONS, AND COMPUTER MODELING TECHNOLOGIES. THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WORKING IN SCHOOLS IN WEST VIRGINIA AND DELAWARE WILL GAIN ACCESS TO INNOVATIVE, INTERACTIVE TOOLS THAT EMPOWER STUDENTS TO BECOME INFORMED ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS AND ENGAGED LEARNERS IN STEM FIELDS. THE PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF SPATIAL COMPUTING TECHNOLOGIES ON STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES, ENGAGEMENT, AND INTEREST IN E-STEM CAREERS. RESEARCH QUESTIONS COMPARE THE PROVEN CURRICULUM (CONTROL) WITH THE ENHANCED SPATIAL COMPUTING CURRICULUM (EXPERIMENTAL) AND EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS AND SELECTABLE MIXED REALITY AVATARS ON STUDENT INTEREST IN E-STEM CAREERS. USING A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, RESEARCHERS WILL EXPLORE HOW INTERACTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES AND CAREER AVATARS ENHANCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' COMPREHENSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CONTENT AND FOSTER INTEREST IN E-STEM CAREERS. MIXED METHODS, INCLUDING PRE/POST-ASSESSMENTS, FOCUS GROUPS, AND SPATIAL COMPUTING PLATFORM ANALYTICS, WILL EVALUATE THE PROJECT'S EFFECTIVENESS. PLANNED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE AN UPDATED SHARED WATERS CURRICULUM, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MODULES FOR TEACHERS THAT ENABLE THEM TO IMPLEMENT THE CURRICULUM, AND WEB-BASED DISSEMINATION OF CURRICULUM RESOURCES. BY PROVIDING A SCALABLE MODEL FOR INTEGRATING SPATIAL COMPUTING INTO ELEMENTARY GRADE-LEVEL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, THIS PROJECT CONTRIBUTES TO EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS (ITEST) PROGRAM, WHICH SUPPORTS PROJECTS THAT BUILD UNDERSTANDINGS OF PRACTICES, PROGRAM ELEMENTS, CONTEXTS AND PROCESSES CONTRIBUTING TO INCREASING STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE AND INTEREST IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) AND INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) CAREERS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: THE APPLICATION OF SCALING RULES TO ENERGY FLOW IN STREAM ECOSYSTEMS

WATERSHED AWARENESS USING TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH FOR SUSTAINABILITY (WATERS)

NCRN STREAM WATER VITAL SIGNS: EVALUATING DATA QUALITY, REVISING, AND UPDATING PROTOCOLS, AND ANALYZING LONG-TERM DATA TO MEET NATURAL RESOURCE INFORM

MSA: A MACROSYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE ON RIVER EUTROPHICATION FROM CHLOROPHYLL ABUNDANCE PATTERNS -RIVERS AND STREAMS PROVIDE SOCIETY WITH WATER TO DRINK AND IRRIGATE, RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND HABITAT FOR PLANTS AND ANIMALS. THESE VALUABLE SERVICES CAN BE THREATENED BY POLLUTION IN THE FORM OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS, NUTRIENTS THAT ENCOURAGE ALGAE TO GROW IN RIVERS IN THE SAME WAY THAT WEEDS GROW IN A GARDEN. NUTRIENT-ENRICHED RUNOFF FROM FARMS, SUBURBS, AND CITIES HAS CAUSED MOST RIVERS AND STREAMS IN NORTH AMERICA TO HAVE TOO MUCH ALGAE AND AQUATIC PLANTS. WHILE REDUCING NUTRIENT INPUTS TO RIVERS WOULD SOLVE THIS ALGAL PROBLEM, IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW HOW MUCH THOSE INPUTS NEED TO BE REDUCED AND IN WHAT LOCATIONS. THIS IS BECAUSE NUTRIENTS AND ALGAE FROM DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ARE CONTINUALLY MIXED TOGETHER AS RIVERS CONVERGE AND FLOW DOWNSTREAM. RIVER FLOODS CAN SCOUR PATCHES OF ALGAE FROM THE RIVER BED AND CARRY THEM DOWNSTREAM, MAKING IT EVEN MORE COMPLICATED TO IDENTIFY AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF NUTRIENT REDUCTION FOR A PARTICULAR RIVER THAT CAN CONTROL ALGAE. A RECENT DISCOVERY OF HOW ALGAL CONCENTRATION CHANGES DURING RIVER FLOODS MAY BE A KEY TO MORE ACCURATELY PREDICTING HOW MUCH NUTRIENTS NEED TO BE REDUCED TO CONTROL HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS. THIS RESEARCH IS TESTING AND APPLYING THIS NEW METHOD TO HELP GUIDE POLICIES THAT LEAD TO HEALTHIER RIVERS USING EFFECTIVE REGULATIONS. THIS PROJECT TESTS A TRANSFORMATIVE APPROACH USING HYSTERESIS PATTERNS, WHICH ARE SYSTEM LAGS BETWEEN INPUTS AND OUTPUTS, OF CHLOROPHYLL CONCENTRATIONS DURING STORM EVENTS TO EVALUATE RIVER EUTROPHICATION IN A WAY THAT EFFICIENTLY INTEGRATES THE HETEROGENEOUS DISTRIBUTION OF ALGAL BIOMASS AND ITS TEMPORAL PATTERN OF GROWTH AND TRANSPORT THROUGHOUT ENTIRE WATERSHEDS. THE APPROACH HELPS RESOLVE A LONG-STANDING CHALLENGE IN LIMNOLOGY OF SEPARATELY ACCOUNTING FOR GROWTH AND TRANSPORT OF BENTHIC AND PLANKTONIC ALGAE IN MEASUREMENTS OF RIVER CHLOROPHYLL ABUNDANCE. THE PROJECT COMBINES TWO SPATIAL SCALES, NAMELY REGIONAL AND CONTINENTAL. THE FIRST GOAL IS TO MONITOR HIGH-FREQUENCY CHLOROPHYLL CONCENTRATIONS IN SIX RIVERS OF THE DELAWARE RIVER BASIN WITH CONTRASTING HUMAN INFLUENCE. THESE DATA ARE ENABLING LINKAGES BETWEEN REACH-SCALE CONTROLS ON BENTHIC AND PLANKTONIC GROWTH, SUCH AS HABITAT FEATURES AND HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS, TO CHLOROPHYLL HYSTERESIS RESPONSES MEASURED DOWNSTREAM. THE OUTPUT IS QUANTITATIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT, CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY, AND CHLOROPHYLL HYSTERESIS INDICES. THE SECOND GOAL IS TO TEST THESE RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHLOROPHYLL SENSOR DATA, ALGAL COMMUNITY CHARACTERIZATION, AND WATERSHED CHARACTERISTICS FROM THE 28 NEON AQUATIC FIELD SITES. BY EXPLORING NEW METRICS OF RIVER EUTROPHICATION, THIS PROJECT DEVELOPS ANALYSES OF ALGAL GROWTH DYNAMICS OVER MORE APPROPRIATE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL SCALES AND BETTER CAPTURES THE COMBINED CONTRIBUTION OF BENTHIC AND WATER-COLUMN HABITATS TO RIVER EUTROPHICATION. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: SESTON CONTRIBUTIONS TO METABOLISM ACROSS LONGITUDINAL ECOSYSTEMS (SCALE) -- DYNAMICS OF ORGANIC PARTICLES IN RIVER NETWORK

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A HIGH-SENSITIVITY LIGHT STABLE ISOTOPE RATIO MASS SPECTROMETER FOR CRITICAL ZONE STUDIES

FISCAL YEAR 2017 CHESAPEAKE BAY-WATERSHED EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM-CAPACITY BUILDING

REU/RET SITE: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INTRODUCING CRITICAL ZONE OBSERVATORY SCIENCE TO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: SATURATED, SUFFOCATED, AND SALTY: HOTSPOTS OF AMMONIUM-N & DISSIMILATORY NITRATE REDUCTION TO AMMONIUM-DENITRIFICATION DICHOTOMY IN ANOXIC RIPARIAN SOILS -WETLANDS AND STREAMSIDE (RIPARIAN) ZONES ARE IMPORTANT NATURAL FILTERS FOR NITROGEN (N) POLLUTION AND ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE KIDNEYS OF THE LANDSCAPE. THEY REMOVE N FROM SOILS AND GROUNDWATERS THROUGH A MICROBIAL PROCESS (DENITRIFICATION) THAT CONVERTS POLLUTING NITRATE-N TO HARMLESS NITROGEN GAS. DENITRIFICATION TYPICALLY HAPPENS UNDER WET AND LOW-OXYGEN SOIL CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, EXTREME WETNESS CAN BE TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING AND COULD ALTER THE MICROBIAL BALANCE IN FAVOR OF RETAINING N IN SOILS (AS AMMONIUM-N) THROUGH A PROCESS CALLED DISSIMILATORY NITRATE REDUCTION TO AMMONIUM (DNRA). DENITRIFICATION PROVIDES AN ECOSYSTEM SERVICE BY REMOVING EXCESS N WHILE DNRA COUNTERS IT. HOW AND WHICH SOIL CONDITIONS TIP THE BALANCE FROM DENITRIFICATION TO DNRA IS NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD AND IS THE FOCUS OF THIS STUDY. A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THESE PROCESSES AND CONDITIONS WILL ALLOW WATERSHED MANAGERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES TO BETTER MANAGE RIPARIAN ZONES AND WETLANDS FOR N REMOVAL. THIS STUDY WILL ALSO ALLOW BETTER DECISION MAKING WITH REGARD TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF EXISTING MILLDAMS THAT CAN CREATE DETRIMENTAL WET AND STAGNANT WATER CONDITIONS IN STREAMS AND RIPARIAN ZONES. LESSONS LEARNT HERE WILL ALSO ENHANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF N POLLUTION IN LANDSCAPES SUBJECT TO SALINIZATION FROM ROAD SALTS AND SEA LEVEL RISE. THIS WORK WILL SUPPORT THE EDUCATION OF TWO PHD STUDENTS AND THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THREE JUNIOR AND TWO SENIOR SCIENTISTS. THIS STUDY WILL IDENTIFY THE KEY CONDITIONS THAT REGULATE THE DNRA-DENITRIFICATION DICHOTOMY AND THE PRODUCTION OF AMMONIUM-N IN ANOXIC SOILS. THE KEY HYPOTHESES ARE: (A) HYDROLOGIC STAGNATION (LOW GROUNDWATER MIXING) FAVORS DNRA; (B) DNRA WILL INCREASE (VIS-?-VIS DENITRIFICATION) WHEN SPECIFIC CONCENTRATION RATIO FOR ELECTRON DONORS (ORGANIC C, FERROUS IRON, AND SULFIDE) VERSUS THE ELECTRON ACCEPTOR (NITRATE-N) IS EXCEEDED; AND (C) SALINIZATION INCREASES THE CONCENTRATIONS OF AMMONIUM-N IN RIPARIAN GROUNDWATER THROUGH - ABIOTIC DISPLACEMENT OF SOIL-SORBED AMMONIUM-N, AND SALINITY-DRIVEN RELEASE OF FERROUS AND SULFIDE IONS THAT STIMULATE DNRA. THESE CONTROLS WILL BE EVALUATED THROUGH AN INNOVATIVE COMBINATION AND INTEGRATION OF FOUR INDEPENDENT, BUT COMPLEMENTARY, APPROACHES: (A) DESIGNED MESOCOSM FACTORIAL EXPERIMENTS THAT USE 15N LABELED NITRATE-N TO COMPARE DNRA AND DENITRIFICATION PROCESS RATES AND FACTORS INVOLVED; (B) IN-SITU MEASUREMENTS OF RIPARIAN SOIL AND WATER N AT EXISTING MILLDAM STUDY SITES; (C) MICROBIAL QUANTIFICATION OF DNRA GENES (NRFA) IN MESOCOSM AND RIPARIAN SOILS; AND (D) REACTIVE TRANSPORT MODELING AND CALIBRATION FOR LABORATORY MESOCOSM EXPERIMENTS FOLLOWED WITH SCALING UP AND TESTING FOR RIPARIAN SITES. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

APPLICANT: STROUD WATER RESEARCH CENTER, INC. TITLE: BUILDING SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE CAPACITY SUPPORT SYSTEMS TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY FOR ALL K-12 AUDIENCES ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA OVERVIEW: THE PENNSYLVANIA ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY AND MEANINGFUL WATERSHED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE (PA ELIT/MWEE) CAPACITY BUILDING EFFORTS HAVE PROGRESSED TO THE NEXT PHASE WHICH NECESSITATES A RESTRUCTURED ORGANIZATIONAL FLOW. REGIONAL HUBS AND LIAISONS ALONG WITH THE STANDARDIZED PROCESSES AND RESOURCES TO DISTRIBUTE ELIT AND MWEE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WILL BE ESTABLISHED AND REFINED AS STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES TO STRENGTHEN NETWORKS AND ENHANCE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES TO SUSTAIN EFFORTS TOWARD THE VISION OF SYSTEMIC MWEE IMPLEMENTATION IN ALL PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

STROUD WATER RESEARCH CENTER PROPOSES TO DEVELOP DO-IT-YOURSELF TECHNOLOGY, TECHNIQUES, TRAINING AND CURRICULA FOCUSED ON WATER QUALITY MONITORING FO

EXPANDING ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY AND MWEE IMPLEMENTATION CAPACITY ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA

MONITORING FISH POPULATIONS AND STREAM HABITAT QUALITY FOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE UNITS OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION NETWORK

PROJECT PERIOD: 2 1 24-2 2 25PROJECT TITLE: A RAPID DEPLOYMENT SWAP-C WATER LEVEL LOGGERTHE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A LOW COST, SOLAR POWERED, WATER LEVEL MEASUREMENTSYSTEM THAT CAN RELAY ITS MEASUREMENTS IN REAL-TIME TO THE INTERNET. THE REAL-TIME MONITORING DATA(VIEWED ON THE INTERNET) WILL ALLOW AUTHORITIES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND RISKS DURING A FLOODING EVENTAND MAKE FASTER, MORE EFFECTIVE DECISIONS ABOUT THE ACTIONS NEEDED TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.THIS PROJECT IS MOTIVATED BY DECISION MAKERS NEEDS FOR MORE RIVER LOCATIONS TO BE MEASURED ATTHE SAME TIME DURING FLOODS, WHICH REQUIRES THAT THE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS BE LOWER COST SO THATMORE OF THEM CAN BE DEPLOYED AT THE SAME TIME.THE PROTOTYPE SYSTEM WILL BE COST-EFFECTIVE, DURABLE, AND EASY TO DEPLOY. THE PROTOTYPE SYSTEMWILL BE DEVELOPED IN TWO STAGES. THE FIRST STAGE WILL INVOLVE STRENGTHENING THE PROCESSING POWERAND COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS OF AN EXISTING OPEN SOURCE MICROCONTROLLER AND ASSOCIATED OPENSOURCE CODE LIBRARIES. THE SECOND STAGE WILL INVOLVE PACKAGING THE MICROCONTROLLER, BATTERY, SOLARPANEL, RADIO, CAMERA, AND RADAR SENSOR IN A WATERPROOF HOUSING THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED FROM ABRIDGE OR OTHER STRUCTURE NEAR A RIVER. THE RESULTING PROTOTYPE WILL BE TESTED ON A BRIDGE TO ASSESSACCURACY AND HOW RELIABLY THE DATA CAN BE TRANSMITTED BY RADIO TO THE INTERNET. ITS BATTERY POWERAND SOLAR CHARGING CAPABILITIES WILL BE DOCUMENTED SO THAT USERS CAN ANTICIPATE ITS RELIABILITYWHEN DEPLOYED.AFTER TESTING AND DOCUMENTATION ARE COMPLETE, THE PROTOTYPE SYSTEM WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE U.S.GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. INSTRUCTION ON OPERATING THE SYSTEM WILL BE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH ALL THEDOCUMENTS NEEDED TO REPRODUCE AND ASSEMBLE THE PROTOTYPE. THESE DOCUMENTS AND A DESCRIPTIONOF HOW TO ASSEMBLE AND OPERATE THE SYSTEM WILL BE POSTED TO OPEN SOURCE WEBSITES AND FREELYAVAILABLE DOCUMENT REPOSITORIES ON THE WEB SO THAT ALL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE ACCESS TOTHE DESIGN AND THE ABILITY TO REPLICATE AND ITERATE ON THE DESIGN.THE PROTOTYPE SYSTEM RESULTING FROM THIS PROJECT IS UNIQUE RELATIVE TO COMMERCIALLY-AVAILABLESYSTEMS BECAUSE IT WILL BE OPEN SOURCE. OPEN SOURCE MEANS THAT ALL INSTRUCTIONS, MATERIALS, ANDCOMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM (EXCLUDING A COMMERCIALLY-AVAILABLE RADAR SENSOR) NEEDED FOR BUILDINGAND PROGRAMMING THE SYSTEM WILL BE FREELY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS LOWERSOME COST BARRIERS IMPOSED BY COMMERCIALLY-AVAILABLE PRODUCTS, IT FACILITATES IMPROVEMENTS ONTHE DESIGN BY ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SECTOR, AND ACCELERATES INNOVATION THROUGHOPEN AND FREELY ACCESSIBLE COLLABORATION. MOREOVER, THE PROTOTYPE DESIGNED IN THIS PROJECT ISBASED ON A POPULAR OPEN SOURCE ECOSYSTEM OF ELECTRONIC HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND DATA SHARING,THEREBY FACILITATING COLLABORATION BY THE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING COMMUNITY ON REPURPOSING THEPROTOTYPE SYSTEM TO WORK WITH A WIDE RANGE OF OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL SENSORS. WHILE THE U.S.GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WILL BE THE IMMEDIATE BENEFICIARY OF THE PROTOTYPE WATER LEVEL MEASUREMENTSYSTEM DEVELOPED BY THIS PROJECT, THE PUBLIC, PRIVATE SECTOR, AND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERINGCOMMUNITIES AND EDUCATORS WILL ALSO BENEFIT THROUGH THE OPEN SOURCE DISTRIBUTION AND REUSE OF THEPRODUCT FOR A WIDE RANGE OF NON-COMMERCIAL AND COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: COUPLED GEOCHEMICAL AND GEOBIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER OXIDATION TO CARBON DIOXIDE

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: SEDIMENT STABILIZATION BY ANIMALS IN STREAM ECOSYSTEMS: CONSEQUENCES FOR EROSION, ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES, AND BIODIVERSITY

LTREB: STREAM ECOSYSTEM STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION WITHIN A MATURING DECIDUOUS FOREST

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INTRODUCING THE PRINCIPLES AND PROCESSES OF THE EARTH'S CRITICAL ZONE TO TEACHERS INFORMAL EDUCATORS AND ACADEMICALLY AT-RI

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: LOW-HEAD MILLDAMS AS HOTSPOTS FOR DENITRIFICATION AND NITROGEN CONSUMPTION: HYDROLOGIC AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL CONTROLS

EARTHCUBE DOMAIN END-USER WORKSHOP: ENGAGING THE CRITICAL ZONE COMMUNITY TO BRIDGE LONG TAIL SCIENCE WITH BIG DATA

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: GEOMORPHODYNAMIC MODULATION OF BIOGEOCHEMICAL FLUXES AND BASIN STRATIGRAPHY OF THE FLY RIVER

INTEGRATING THE CARBON AND WATER CYCLES WITHIN AN ECOSYSTEM ESTHETIC APPROACH TO LANDSCAPES

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: LTREB RENEWAL - RIVER ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES TO FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION -FLOODPLAINS ARE THE AREAS ALONGSIDE RIVERS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY WATER MOVEMENT. FLOODPLAINS PROVIDE MANY IMPORTANT BENEFITS TO PEOPLE, YET THEY ARE ALSO SUSCEPTIBLE TO CHANGES SUCH AS FLOODING, POLLUTION, AND OTHER DISTURBANCES. UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM CHANGES IN RIVER ECOSYSTEMS AFFECTED BY METAL POLLUTION IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. THIS PROJECT STUDIES CHANGES OVER TEN YEARS IN THE UPPER CLARK FORK RIVER IN MONTANA FOLLOWING A LARGE PROJECT THAT RESTORED VEGETATION AND REMOVED CONTAMINATED SOIL AFTER DAMAGE FROM EXTENSIVE MINING IN THE RIVER?S HEADWATERS. CHANGES IN LAND USE AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT ARE ALSO ALTERING NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATIONS ALONG THE RIVER. SINCE 2013, NEARLY 17 KM OF RIVER HAS BEEN RESTORED AND THREE CORE DATA SETS HAVE BEEN COLLECTED, WHICH WERE INITIATED DECADES BEFORE THE RESTORATION. THE LONG-TERM MEASUREMENTS AND THE SPATIAL SCALE OF THE STUDY PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE THE ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES INVOLVED IN RESTORATION PRACTICES. SEVERAL UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE EDUCATED AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, DATA ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, AND RESULTS ARE SHARED WITH MANY STAKEHOLDERS IN THIS RIVER SYSTEM THROUGH THE CLARK FORK SCIENCE FORUM. THE STUDY SYSTEM OF THE UPPER CLARK FORK RIVER IN MONTANA, HAS SEVERAL UNIQUE QUALITIES THAT ENABLE THIS PROJECT TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES. FIRST, THE SYSTEM HAS RECEIVED HIGH INPUTS OF METALS THAT HAVE SINCE CEASED. THIS ENABLES INVESTIGATION OF THE ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS OVER TIME IN RESPONSE TO THIS CESSATION. SECOND, THE INVESTIGATORS HAVE CLOSELY OBSERVED ECOLOGICAL AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL RESPONSES OVER DECADAL TIMESCALES, WHICH IS THE APPROPRIATE TIMEFRAME TO STUDY THE TYPES OF SLOW PROCESSES INVOLVED IN RIVER ECOSYSTEM RECOVERY. THE PROJECT GENERATES CORE DATA SETS INCLUDING: 1) INFLUENCES ON ORGANIC MATTER AND SEDIMENT METALS, 2) CHANGES IN UPSTREAM-DOWNSTREAM GRADIENTS IN SEDIMENT METALS, 3) METABOLIC RESPONSES TO FLOODPLAIN RECONNECTION IN RESTORED REACHES DURING THE SPRING FLOOD PULSE VS. SUMMER BASEFLOW, 4) CHANGES IN METAL BIOAVAILABILITY CAUSED BY INTERACTION WITH DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER, AND 5) MEASUREMENTS OF NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS, AND DISSOLVED ORGANIC CARBON IN RESTORED AND UNRESTORED PARTS OF THE RIVER. ULTIMATELY, THIS PROJECT INVESTIGATES RIVER ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES OVER LARGE SPATIAL (>200 KM) AND TEMPORAL (> DECADAL) SCALES. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

THE NOAA CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED EDUCATION AND TRAINING (B-WET) PROGRAM WILL BE PROVIDING $210,000 AS A 3-YEAR GRANT TO STROUD WATER RESEARCH CENTER. THE PROJECT WILL ENGAGE TEACHERS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS IN ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PD) ON MEANINGFUL WATERSHED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES (MWEES) AND THE NEW PA SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY, AND SUSTAINABILITY (STEELS) STANDARDS. STROUD WILL WORK WITH TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT MWEES THAT WILL REACH EVERY STUDENT IN AT LEAST ONE GRADE BAND IN BOTH SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS WELL AS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN AGRICULTURE EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN BOTH SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

PROGRAMMING SUPPORTS A COMPREHENSIVE NETWORK OF COOPERATIVE STUDY UNITS TO FACILITATE COOPERATIVE RESEARCH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING TO INFORM SCIENCE-BASED MANAGEMENT OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM. THE STUDY UNITS FACILITATE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY SCIENCE AND INTEGRATED INFORMATION PRODUCTS ACROSS MULTIPLE GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM. THE RECIPIENT WILL CONDUCT RESEARCH INCLUDING A LITERATURE REVIEW, GATHERING INFORMATION FROM TEACHERS AND OR SCHOOL OFFICIALS, AND INFORMATION FROM EDUCATION STAFF OR MANAGERS AT SIX NATIONAL PARK SITES (NATIONAL MALL AND MEMORIAL PARKS, NATIONAL CAPITAL PARKS EAST, GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL PARKWAY, ROCK CREEK PARK, CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO NATIONAL PARK, AND PRINCE WILLIAM FOREST PARK. BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, PUBLIC PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFIT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC).

IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DATA ACCESS, STORAGE AND RECOVERY, AND NETWORK COMMUNICATION AT STROUD WATER RESEARCH CENTER

COLLABORATIVE PROPOSAL WATERSHED CITIZENSHIP LEARNING COMMUNITY

PROGRAMMING SUPPORTS A COMPREHENSIVE NETWORK OF COOPERATIVE STUDY UNITS TO FACILITATE COOPERATIVE RESEARCH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING TO INFORM SCIENCE-BASED MANAGEMENT OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM. THE STUDY UNITS FACILITATE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY SCIENCE AND INTEGRATED INFORMATION PRODUCTS ACROSS MULTIPLE GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.THIS PROJECT WILL MONITOR FISH AND MACROINVERTEBRATE POPULATIONS IN FIFTEEN STREAMS AT SEVEN NATIONAL PARK SITES IN THE WASHINGTON DC REGION AS PART OF THE INVENTORY AND MONITORING PROGRAM. STAFF FROM STROUD WATER RESEARCH CENTER WILL SURVEY EACH STREAM TO DETERMINE FISH SPECIES PRESENT AND COLLECTED RELATED DATA AND CALCULATE THE FISH INDEX OF BIOLOGICAL INTEGRITY A MEASURE OF WATER QUALITY. THIS WILL ENABLE MANAGERS TO PRIORITIZE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS TO PROTECT STREAMS.BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, PUBLIC PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFIT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

COLLABORATIVE PROPOSAL: WCR - HYDROLOGIC REGULATION OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER BIOGEOCHEMISTRY FROM FORESTS THROUGH RIVER NETWORKS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: ACQUISITION OF NITROGENASE METAL COFACTORS IN SOILS: ROLE OF METALLOPHORES AND LIMITATION OF N2-FIXATION

PROGRAMMING SUPPORTS A COMPREHENSIVE NETWORK OF COOPERATIVE STUDY UNITS TO FACILITATE COOPERATIVE RESEARCH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING TO INFORM SCIENCE-BASED MANAGEMENT OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM. THE STUDY UNITS FACILITATE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY SCIENCE AND INTEGRATED INFORMATION PRODUCTS ACROSS MULTIPLE GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM. THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION INVENTORY AND MONITORING NETWORKTHIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: (1) ANALYZE NCRN BIOLOGICAL STREAM SAMPLING PROTOCOL MONITORING DATA, (2) PUBLISH RESULTS IN THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE AND OR IN NPS TECHNICAL REPORTS, AND (3) BROADLY DISSEMINATE FINDINGS IN SCIENCE COMMUNICATION PRODUCTS (E.G., WEBINARS, RESOURCE BRIEFS, NEWSLETTER ARTICLES).OTHER BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, PUBLIC PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFIT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, AND THE PUBLIC.

LTREB: DYNAMICS OF STREAM ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES ACROSS GRADIENTS OF REFORESTATION AND CHANGING CLIMATE IN A TROPICAL DRY FOREST

TO ESTABLISH A CESU MCA