Date of Award
2014
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biology
Abstract
Eutrophication is a major anthropogenic stressor on aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Jamaica Bay is located in the southeastern portion of New York City, NY (NYC). Like many other estuaries, Jamaica Bay is impacted by anthropogenic N inputs from various sources. Despite eutrophic conditions, improvements in water quality over the last few decades have prompted government agencies to promote oyster restoration to help reduce anthropogenic N in NYC waters. The effect of eastern oysters on sediment bacterial communities responsible for denitrification in Jamaica Bay was previously unknown. Those samples exposed to oysters were predicted to have high denitrification gene abundances, and thus a high potential for denitrification; however no significant relationship was found. Abundance of key denitrification genes were quantified using qPCR. Our results showed oysters' effect on abundance of denitrifiers was variable by site and season with no significant overall impact. A significant factor for denitrifier abundance in Jamaica Bay was availability of organic matter.
This project also explored post-hurricane Sandy denitrification dynamics in a nearby estuary, the Western Long Island South Shore estuary (WLISS). Following the damage caused by this superstorm, 68 million gallons of raw sewage were released into WLISS. This massive release of sewage was the result of damage caused to the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant which is responsible for wastewater treatment serving 5 million people. The release of this sewage greatly increased the nutrient load in the WLISS estuary and the environmental impacts are of interest. Our analyses showed a mixed effect of site and season on the bacterial denitrifying community. Unlike Jamaica Bay, there is a significant correlation between denitrifier abundance and denitrification rate. This study employed methods that more directly assayed the samples in conditions similar to those found in the environment and therefore may be more indicative of natural denitrification rates.
Recommended Citation
Lindemann, Samantha Denise, "Denitrification in Urban Coastal Environments: A Functional Gene Study" (2014). Master's Theses. 2628.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/2628
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2014 Samantha Denise Lindemann
