Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 15:35
Forums
Arctic Sunlight and Microbial Interactions

Hi, My name is Shireen, I am from St. Mark/ Pope John Paul II Catholic School. What other significant factors or conditions are being recorded at the water connection points that you feel will have direct impact on results?

Sat, 07/06/2013 - 08:53

Bruce Taterka

Hi Shireen -
Great question! We take a lot of samples for chemical, physical, and biological analyses where rivers flow into lakes and where lakes flow out of rivers. One of the really interesting things is what type of microbial community is found at each location, and what their role is in converting dissolved carbon to CO2. Another important factor is what type of carbon compound is found at each location. If the microbes have the type of carbon they like to eat, then there will be high CO2 production. It's complicated, but I'll be putting up posts to explain it better, with pictures, this week.
- Bruce