Research

In 2009 three Masters' Candidates received $1,000 each. Staying true to 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.

2009 Grant Recipients

Lauren Kras - Masters' Candidate of Plant Biology: $1,000 Grant Awarded
UNH Plant Biology/Biological Sciences (Dr. Gregg Moore)

Armed with vials, a hand held refractometer, sipper tubing and syringes, Lauren often used her kayak to paddle out to testing sites in order to conduct her research project on Great Bay locating Salicornia bigelovii and 4 more taxa. Lauren's project focused on determining how to better conserve, protect and restore estuarine areas - currently home to 27 rare plants.  In order to ensure their long term survival in Great Bay, 5 rare plants (taxa) were selected. Lauren then mapped their current and historic distribution within Great Bay. Hypothesizing that the chosen species will serve as an early warning signal of ecological tipping points within tidal estuarine marshes. Rare plants are especially threatened by changes in salinity, siltation, dredging and competition with invasive plants. Lauren used her $1,000 GBS Grant  to purchase supplies for monitoring and print informational materials to distribute to the general public in order to raise awareness of the threatened and endangered plants, most found exclusively in Great Bay.

Jonathan Felch- Masters of Science Candidate: $1,000 Grant Awarded
UHN Natural Resources and the Environment (Dr. Fred Short)

Jonathan Felch is currently pursuing a Masters in Science and conducted his research with Dr. Fred Short and the Seagrass Ecology Lab at the Jackson Estuarine Lab on Great Bay. He graduated in Environmental Sciences from UNH in 2008. His project focused on investigating whether eelgrass beds can reduce the negative impacts of seawater acidification on mussels, oysters and snails in Great Bay. Due to the stress of climate change, specifically the increased absorption of carbon dioxide - these shellfish will have a difficult time producing shell as higher concentrations of Carbon Dioxide are absorbed into the water. He hypothesized that higher eelgrass density will drive carbon dioxide constrations lower and carbonate concentration and pH higher through photosynthesis, which will subsequently allow the shellfish to produce shell at a faster rate. Armed with $766 of scientific gizmo's, Jonathan placed replicated cages of mussels, oysters and snails in ten locations in Great Bay. He also studied the effects of higher carbon dioxide on shellfish grown in laboratory aquaria. Because Great Bay already has a higher pH than the ocean [it is more acidic] it is likely that Great Bay will suffer stress more immediately than the coastal and open ocean, thus the importance of understanding the effects of ocean acidification - while ecosystem management is still feasible in Great Bay. The image above is the eelgrass mesocosms located at Jackson Estuarine Lab (JEL) UNH.

Mr. Felch received a $1,000 Grant. Thanks to your generous support, all but $41 of the total project budget was awarded to Mr. Felch, of which he absorbed the costs in order to complete his research.

2007 Grant Recipients

Nora Beem - Master of Science Candidate
UNH Natural Resources Department (Dr. Fred Short)

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.

Jennifer Mahoney - Doctoral Candidate
UNH Microbiology Department (Dr. Cheryl Whistler)

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.


2006 Grant Recipients

Kathleen Legere - Master of Science Candidate
UNH Natural Resources Department (Dr. Bill McDowell)

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.

Jennifer Rowden - Master of Science Candidate
UNH Environmental Conservation (Dr. Mimi Becker)

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.