Project: Forecasting the response of Delmarva lagoons to changing land use and climate: Alternative stable state and recovery trajectories (R/ECO-7)

Principal Investigator: Arthur Trembanis, University of Delaware, and Maryland/Virginia Sea Grant partners

Nutrients washed into coastal waters from land-based sources play an important role in coastal ecosystems. Nutrients such as nitrogen running off from fertilizers in yards or from farms can trigger plant production, which in turn support other wildlife making up the coastal food web.

Changing coastal populations and land uses, coupled with potential increases in sea level and water temperatures associated with global climate change, could alter nutrient loads and their impacts on coastal ecosystems. Excess nutrients support algal blooms, which can deprive waters of oxygen and reduce water clarity. Too many nutrients can also hinder efforts to restore seagrass beds and support clam aquaculture.

Sea Grant researchers in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia are working together to improve our understanding of how coastal waters respond to changes in nutrient loads. Their work will help communities and government agencies as they make land use decisions and set nutrient reduction goals.

See below for for the full project abstract.