Salt marshes act as major sinks for atmospheric carbon through high productivity and the ability to trap both organic and inorganic sediment. However, their future role in carbon storage under global climate change and increased nitrogen inputs remains uncertain, partly because we don’t yet have a full understanding of the in situ dynamics of deep sediment microbial communities responsible for metabolic processes that deplete organic carbon stores.

 

This research, conducted by graduate student Ashley Bulseco-McKim, in collaboration with Thomas Mozdzer and Don Barber of Bryn Mawr College and Jon Sanderman of Woods Hole Research Center, aims to characterize the microbial community structure and activity of deep marsh sediments (~2500 years old), while concurrently studying carbon quality of organic peat, thus enhancing our understanding of how these microorganisms influence important carbon pools and fluxes.