Perth Laboratory – Public Seminar Series 2010
Characterizing dissolved organic matter (DOM) at the watershed scale: Examples from catchments along the Gulf of Alaska
Dr Eran Hood
University of Alaska Southeast
Thursday 11 February 2010 at 3.30pm, CSIRO Auditorium
Abstract
Watersheds draining to the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) contain more than 75,000 km2 of glaciers, the volume and areal extent of which are rapidly being altered by climate change. The changes in landcover associated with thinning and retreating glaciers are changing both the hydrology and aquatic biogeochemistry of GOA streams and rivers, with implications for the structure and function of both freshwater and downstream marine ecosystems. This talk will focus on novel techniques to identify and characterize riverine dissolved organic matter derived from sources ranging from spawning salmon to wetland and glacier ecosystems in this rapidly changing region. In particular, the use of optical characterization techniques such as fluorescence spectroscopy and stable isotopes (13C and 15N) will be highlighted. These characterization approaches are proving useful for providing new insights into DOM cycling across a wide range of ecosystem types. The seminar will conclude with a discussion of how these methods are being applied to better understand the source and fate of DOM in river-estuary systems of Southwestern Australia.
About the speaker
Dr Hood is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science at the University of Alaska Southeast and is visiting CSIRO on a McMaster Fellowship. His research interests centre around the cycling of dissolved organic matter and inorganic nutrients across the interfaces of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. His recent work has focused on evaluating how rapid glacial recession is affecting inputs of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus to the Gulf of Alaska.
For seminar information email Perth Seminars or phone (08) 9333 6221
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