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As part of implementing our mission statement, the Great Bay Stewards initiated a graduate student funding program in 2006 to help contribute to ongoing research in and around Great Bay. Each spring, a Request for Proposals (RFP) is posted and interested students submit their funding proposals. A committee of Great Bay Stewards' board members reviews the proposals and selects the winners.
 Human Impact to the Great Bay Eelgrass Population and the Need for Education
Nora's research project is comprised of two main components: research and education/outreach. She is looking at nitrogen levels in eelgrass as an indicator of over-enrichment. She plans to use the nitrogen data to work with the local school systems at the middle school level (5-6 grade) to integrate eelgrass ecology and the current trends into the curriculum. The curriculum development will work to achieve specific Science Literacy benchmarks, which are parameters set by the New Hampshire Department of Education for K-12 to promote a complete understanding of the diverse facets of the field. Her hope is that by doing this, it will increase the community understanding of this local ecosystem and its connection to larger systems.
 Identification of Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains with human pathogenic potential in the Great Bay Estuary
Jennifer's research project involves the study of Vibrio, a genus of marine bacteria common to the low salinity of environment of coastal estuaries. While some species are highly infectious to humans, others are marine animal symbionts requiring host association to survive. Jennifer plans to use a comparative genomics approach to understand the common and/or unique mechanisms with which these vibrios interact with their host. Although it is commonly assumed that New England strains of Vibrios are non-pathogenic to humans, no research has been done to confirm this. As a recipient of the Great Bay Stewards Fellowship, she will be examining the local population of Vibrios and determining their infectious potential.
Nitrogen Budget of Great Bay Based on Watershed Characteristics: Comparison with SPARROW Model Results
In Kathleen's research project, individual sub-watersheds in the larger Great Bay watershed were evaluated for their nitrogen contribution to Great Bay and the Stewards' grant was used to support the water quality monitoring aspect of her research project. Estuaries such as Great Bay are typically nitrogen limited and monitoring nitrogen in these systems is critical because excessive nitrogen loading can cause harmful algal blooms which in turn can lower levels of dissolved oxygen. Nitrogen sources in the Great Bay watershed include septic systems and sewage from waste water treatment facilities, atmospheric deposition, fertilizer from agricultural and residential areas and urban runoff. Data collected helped identify sensitive areas for nitrogen pollution and contributed to the development of a scientific model that can accurately estimate nitrogen in Great Bay and other coastal areas.
Defining Factors of Success for Watershed Organizations within New Hampshire
Jennifer's project was focused on public participation in conservation efforts, particularly water protection. Over the course of the last few decades, there has been a steady increase in developing cooperative, community-based efforts to protect natural resources. River systems usually fall within multiple jurisdictions, so there is a need for cooperation among these jurisdictions to protect and manage the river resources. Watershed organizations have begun to bring together those individuals with interests within the river system that may impact the water quality. The goal of her project was to help watershed organizations focus their efforts and resources on those activities that are the most effective in protecting their respective watersheds. Her research helped to determine how watershed organizations influence decision-makers such as town councils or conservation commissioners and gained an understanding of the internal workings of the watershed organizations and how this may contribute to the long-term success of the organizations. The funds provided by the Great Bay Stewards aided in research on four watershed organizations, three of which work to protect rivers flowing into the Great Bay Estuary. At the conclusion of Jennifer's research, each watershed organization will be given a set of recommendations on how to better focus their resources and efforts.
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