Microbial Processes in the Seagrass Rhizosphere: Blue Carbon Burial & Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Profile
Microbial Processes in the Seagrass Rhizosphere: Blue Carbon Burial & Greenhouse Gas Emissions
PI: Victoria J. Orphan
Research Team: Kriti Sharma, PhD
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
Ecology and Biosphere Engineering Initiative
2020 Explorer grant
This project will develop an experimental system for the detailed study of the anaerobic microbial community and their interactions in seagrass beds. Vegetated coastal habitats such as seagrass meadows (e.g., Zostera marina) are considered critical ecosystems for carbon burial in the marine environment. Zostera is one of a few marine angiosperms with an extensive root system that facilitates long-term carbon sequestration, within rhizosphere-associated anoxic sediments. Compared to their terrestrial counterparts, relatively little is understood about the impact of microbial activities within the rhizosphere-processes that ultimately influence net carbon storage. We will leverage Caltech's Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory facilities, local university collaborations, and our expertise in marine microbial ecology to study two key processes within the anoxic seagrass rhizosphere: root-associated nitrogen-fixation and methanogenesis.