MRI-R2: Acquisition of instruments to facilitate and enhance education and research on marine ecosystems at TAMUG

Texas A&M Research Foundation, College Station TX

Investigators

Abstract

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)." Identification of key environmental parameters that affect the survival and/or production of marine organisms is needed to maintain biodiversity and ensure the preservation of marine ecosystems. The links between ecological and biogeochemical processes are increasingly implicated as being critically important but are rarely included in ecological studies, compromising our ability to effectively assess and monitor the health of marine ecosystems. An improved understanding of such relationships will provide important insights into ecosystem stability and the potential consequences of future habitat alteration due to human activity and global climate change. The PI?s request funding to acquire a Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) and a Total Mercury Analyzer. The equipment will significantly enhance the analytical capacity at TAMUG and will be used by faculty at this institution as well as faculty in the new Interdisciplinary Degree Program (IDP) in Marine Biology (Program comprised of faculty from six departments and three campuses in the Texas A&M University System) to continue to investigate novel lines of ecological research that include the biogeochemistry of land-ocean interactions, ecological impacts of engineered nanoparticles, and population connectivity of marine organisms. Broader Impacts The new instruments will provide a link between education and research through undergraduate classes and training. The faculty would benefit because the proposed LA-ICP-MS would be the first one on the TAMUG campus. This instrument is the workhorse of elemental analysis and every research institution should have at least one. This instrument would elevate the research of the PIs and also provide basic analytical capabilities for a broad range of scientists at TAMUG whom could use the instrument on a pay-per-use basis. The University supports public outreach but there was no direct plan for public outreach by this group.