Thomas W Brooks
Wally Brooks is a Physical Scientist with the Environmental Geoscience Project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center.
Science and Products
Environmental Geochemistry
Coastal Environmental Geochemistry research at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center spans multiple ecosystems and topics, including coastal wetlands, aquifers, and estuaries, with the goal of providing data and guidance to federal, state, local, and private land owners and managers on these vital ecosystems.
Geochemical Data Supporting Analysis of Fate and Transport of Nitrogen in the Nearshore Groundwater and Subterranean Estuary near East Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2015-2016 Geochemical Data Supporting Analysis of Fate and Transport of Nitrogen in the Nearshore Groundwater and Subterranean Estuary near East Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2015-2016
Geochemical data were obtained to investigate the fate and transport of nitrogen in a subterranean estuary near East Falmouth, Massachusetts. The goal of this investigation was to assess nitrogen attenuation in the aquifer under the Eel River estuary and the adjacent peninsula, introduced as inorganic nitrogen that was densely populated with residences havingfrom residential septic...
Nearshore groundwater seepage and geochemical data measured in 2015 at Guinea Creek, Rehoboth Bay, Delaware Nearshore groundwater seepage and geochemical data measured in 2015 at Guinea Creek, Rehoboth Bay, Delaware
Assessment of biogeochemical processes and transformations at the aquifer-estuary interface and measurement of the chemical flux from submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) zones to coastal water bodies are critical for evaluating ecosystem service, geochemical budgets, and eutrophication status. The U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Delaware measured rates of SGD and...
Carbon dioxide and methane fluxes with supporting environmental data from coastal wetlands across Cape Cod, Massachusetts (ver 2.0, June 2022) Carbon dioxide and methane fluxes with supporting environmental data from coastal wetlands across Cape Cod, Massachusetts (ver 2.0, June 2022)
Saline tidal wetlands are important sites of carbon sequestration and produce negligible methane (CH4) emissions due to regular inundation with sulfate-rich seawater. Yet, widespread management of coastal hydrology has restricted vast areas of coastal wetlands to tidal exchange. These ecosystems often undergo impoundment and freshening, which in turn cause vegetation shifts like invasion...
Continuous Water Level, Salinity, and Temperature Data from Coastal Wetland Monitoring Wells, Cape Cod, Massachusetts (ver. 3.0, September 2025) Continuous Water Level, Salinity, and Temperature Data from Coastal Wetland Monitoring Wells, Cape Cod, Massachusetts (ver. 3.0, September 2025)
Environmental parameters affecting plant productivity and microbial respiration, such as water level, salinity, and groundwater temperature included in these datasets, are key components of wetland carbon cycling, carbon storage, and capacity to maintain elevation. Data were collected to (1) provide background data to evaluate potential differences in water level and carbon flux between...
Geochemical data supporting analysis of fate and transport of nitrogen in the near shore groundwater and subterranean estuary near East Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2015 Geochemical data supporting analysis of fate and transport of nitrogen in the near shore groundwater and subterranean estuary near East Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2015
Geochemical data were obtained to investigate the fate and transport of nitrogen in a subterranean estuary near East Falmouth, Massachusetts. The goal of this investigation was to assess nitrogen attenuation in the aquifer under the Eel River Estuary and the adjacent peninsula that was densely populated with residences having septic systems and legacy cesspool inputs of inorganic...
Geochemical data supporting investigation of solute and particle cycling and fluxes from two tidal wetlands on the south shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2012-19 (ver. 3.0, January 2025) Geochemical data supporting investigation of solute and particle cycling and fluxes from two tidal wetlands on the south shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2012-19 (ver. 3.0, January 2025)
Assessment of geochemical cycling within tidal wetlands and measurement of fluxes of dissolved and particulate constituents between wetlands and coastal water bodies are critical to evaluating ecosystem function, service, and status. The U.S. Geological Survey and collaborators collected surface water and porewater geochemical data from a tidal wetland located on the eastern shore of...
Continuous Monitoring Data From Herring River Wetlands Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2015-Jan2020 Continuous Monitoring Data From Herring River Wetlands Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2015-Jan2020
The Herring River estuary (Wellfleet, Cape Cod, Massachusetts) has been tidally restricted for over a century by a dike constructed near the mouth of the river. Behind the dike, the tidal restriction has caused the conversion of salt marsh wetlands to various other ecosystems including impounded freshwater marshes, flooded shrub land, drained forested upland, and wetlands dominated by...
Continuous Monitoring Data From Great Barnstable Marsh on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2017-19 Continuous Monitoring Data From Great Barnstable Marsh on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2017-19
Salt marshes are environmental ecosystems that contribute to coastal landscape resiliency to storms and rising sea level. Ninety percent of mid-Atlantic and New England salt marshes have been impacted by parallel grid ditching that began in the 1920s–40s to control mosquito populations and to provide employment opportunities during the Great Depression (James-Pirri and others, 2009...
Time-series of biogeochemical and flow data from a tidal salt-marsh creek, Sage Lot Pond, Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, 2012-2016 (ver. 2.0, July 2023) Time-series of biogeochemical and flow data from a tidal salt-marsh creek, Sage Lot Pond, Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, 2012-2016 (ver. 2.0, July 2023)
Extended time-series sensor data were collected between 2012 and 2016 in surface water of a tidal salt-marsh creek on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The objective of this field study was to measure water chemical characteristics and flows, as part of a study to quantify lateral fluxes of dissolved carbon species between the salt marsh and estuary. Data consist of in-situ measurements including...
Geochemical data supporting analysis of geochemical conditions and nitrogen transport in nearshore groundwater and the subterranean estuary at a Cape Cod embayment, East Falmouth, Massachusetts Geochemical data supporting analysis of geochemical conditions and nitrogen transport in nearshore groundwater and the subterranean estuary at a Cape Cod embayment, East Falmouth, Massachusetts
This data release provides analytical and other data in support of an analysis of nitrogen transport and transformation in groundwater and in a subterranean estuary in the Eel River and onshore locations on the Seacoast Shores peninsula, Falmouth, Massachusetts. The analysis is described in U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5095 by Colman and others (2018)...
Coastal Groundwater Chemical Data from the North and South Shores of Long Island, New York Coastal Groundwater Chemical Data from the North and South Shores of Long Island, New York
Groundwater data were collected in the spring and fall of 2008 from three sites representing different geological settings and biogeochemical conditions within the surficial glacial aquifer of Long Island, NY. Investigations were designed to examine the extent to which average vadose zone thickness in contributing watersheds controlled biogeochemical conditions and processes, including...
The δ13C signature of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon reveals complex carbon transformations within a salt marsh The δ13C signature of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon reveals complex carbon transformations within a salt marsh
Coastal wetlands have high rates of atmospheric CO2 uptake, which is subsequently respired back to the atmosphere, stored as organic matter within flooded, anoxic soils, or exported to the coastal ocean. Transformation of fixed carbon occurs through a variety of subsurface aerobic and anaerobic microbial processes, and results in a large inventory of dissolved carbon. Carbon source and...
Authors
Meagan Eagle, Kevin Kroeger, John Pohlman, J.J. Tamborski, Z.A. Wang, Thomas Brooks, Jennifer O’Keefe Suttles, Adrian Mann
Evidence of mineral alteration in a salt marsh subterranean estuary: Implications for carbon and trace element cycling Evidence of mineral alteration in a salt marsh subterranean estuary: Implications for carbon and trace element cycling
Subterranean estuaries (STE) in salt marshes are biogeochemically active zones where interactions between terrestrial groundwater and seawater drive complex cycling of carbon and trace elements, influenced by mineral dissolution. These systems, characterized by fine-grained organic-rich peat overlying permeable coastal aquifers, play a crucial role as a blue carbon sink, yet their...
Authors
J.J. Tamborski, Meagan Eagle, M.T. Thorpe, M.A. Charette, B. Kurylyk, S. Rahman, Kevin Kroeger, Jennifer O’Keefe Suttles, Adrian Mann, Thomas Brooks, Z.A. Wang
Evidence of nitrate attenuation in intertidal and subtidal groundwater in a subterranean estuary at a Cape Cod embayment, East Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2015–16 Evidence of nitrate attenuation in intertidal and subtidal groundwater in a subterranean estuary at a Cape Cod embayment, East Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2015–16
Nitrogen dynamics in intertidal and nearshore subtidal groundwater (subterranean estuary) adjacent to the Seacoast Shores peninsula, Falmouth, Massachusetts, were investigated during 2015–16 by the U.S. Geological Survey. The peninsula is a densely populated residential area with septic systems and cesspools that are substantial sources of nitrogen to groundwater. The study area is in...
Authors
Thomas G. Huntington, Kevin Kroeger, Timothy D. McCobb, J.K. Bohlke, John A. Colman, Thomas Brooks, Beata Syzmczycha
Impoundment increases methane emissions in Phragmites-invaded coastal wetlands Impoundment increases methane emissions in Phragmites-invaded coastal wetlands
Saline tidal wetlands are important sites of carbon sequestration and produce negligible methane (CH4) emissions due to regular inundation with sulfate-rich seawater. Yet, widespread management of coastal hydrology has restricted tidal exchange in vast areas of coastal wetlands. These ecosystems often undergo impoundment and freshening, which in turn cause vegetation shifts like invasion...
Authors
Rebecca Sanders-DeMott, Meagan Eagle, Kevin Kroeger, Faming Wang, Thomas Brooks, Jennifer O’Keefe Suttles, Sydney Nick, Adrian Mann, Jianwu Tang
Oxygen-controlled recirculating seepage meter reveals extent of nitrogen transformation in discharging coastal groundwater at the aquifer–estuary interface Oxygen-controlled recirculating seepage meter reveals extent of nitrogen transformation in discharging coastal groundwater at the aquifer–estuary interface
Nutrient loads delivered to estuaries via submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) play an important role in the nitrogen (N) budget and eutrophication status. However, accurate and reliable quantification of the chemical flux across the final decimeters and centimeters at the sediment–estuary interface remains a challenge, because there is significant potential for biogeochemical...
Authors
Thomas Brooks, Kevin Kroeger, Holly Michael, Joanna York
Substantial nitrous oxide emissions from intertidal sediments and groundwater in anthropogenically-impacted West Falmouth Harbor, Massachusetts Substantial nitrous oxide emissions from intertidal sediments and groundwater in anthropogenically-impacted West Falmouth Harbor, Massachusetts
Large N2O emissions were observed from intertidal sediments in a coastal estuary, West Falmouth Harbor, MA, USA. Average N2O emission rates from 41 chambers during summer 2008 were 10.7 mol N2O m(-2) h(-1)±4.43 μmol N2O m(-2) h(-1) (standard error). Emissions were highest from sediments within a known wastewater plume, where a maximum N2O emission rate was 155 μmol N2O m(-2) h(-1)...
Authors
Serena Moseman-Valtierra, Kevin Kroeger, John Crusius, Sandy Baldwin, Adrian Mann, Thomas Brooks, E. Pugh
Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements near the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland, 2011 Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements near the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland, 2011
Suspended-sediment transport is a critical element governing the geomorphology of tidal marshes. Marshes rely on both organic material and inorganic sediment deposition to maintain their elevation relative to sea level. In wetlands near the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland, portions of the salt marsh have been subsiding relative to sea level since the early 20th century...
Authors
Neil K. Ganju, Patrick J. Dickhudt, Ellyn T. Montgomery, Patrick Brennand, R. Derby, Thomas Brooks, Glenn Guntenspergen, Marinna Martini, Jonathan Borden, Sandra M. Baldwin
The impact of conservation on the status of the world's vertebrates The impact of conservation on the status of the world's vertebrates
Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world's vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: On average, 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. However, this...
Authors
Michael Hoffmann, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Ariadne Angulo, Monika Bohm, Thomas M. Brooks, Stuart Butchart, Kent Carpenter, Janice Chanson, Ben Collen, Neil Cox, William Darwall, Nicholas Dulvy, Lucy Harrison, Vineet Katariya, Caroline Pollock, Suhel Quader, Nadia Richman, Ana Rodrigues, Marcelo Tognelli, Jean-Christophe Vie, John Aguiar, David Allen, Gerald Allen, Giovanni Amori, Natalia Ananjeva, Franco Androene, Paul Andrew, Aida Ortiz, Jonathan Baillie, Ricardo Baldi, Ben Bell, S.D. Biju, Jeremy Bird, Patricia Black-Decima, J. Blanc, Federico Bolanos, Wilmar Bolivar-G., Ian Burfield, James Burton, David Capper, Fernando Castro, Gianluca Catullo, Rachel Cavanagh, Alan Channing, Ning Chao, Anna Chenery, Federica Chiozza, Viola Clausnitzer, Nigel J. Collar, Leah Collett, Bruce Collette, Claudia Cortez Fernandez, Matthew T. Craig, Michael Crosby, Neil Cumberlidge, Annabelle Cuttelod, Andrew Derocher, Arvin Diesmos, John Donaldson, J.W. Duckworth, Guy Dutson, S.K. Dutta, Richard Emslie, Aljos Farjon, Sarah Fowler, Jorg Freyhof, David L. Garshelis, Justin Gerlach, David Gower, Tandora Grant, Geoffrey Hammerson, Richard B. Harris, Lawrence Heaney, S. Hedges, Jean-Marc Hero, Baz Hughes, Syed Hussain, Javier Icochea, Robert Inger, Nobuo Ishii, Djoko Iskandar, Richard K.B. Jenkins, Yoshio Kaneko, Maurice Kottelat, Kit Kovacs, Sergius Kuzmin, Enrique La Marca, John Lamoreux, Michael Lau, Esteban Lavilla, Kristin Leus, Rebecca L. Lewison, Gabriela Lichtenstein, Suzanne Livingstone, Vimoksolehi Lukoschek, David Mallon, Philip McGowan, Anna McIvor, Patricia Moehlman, Sanjay Molur, Antonio Alonso, John Musick, Kristin Nowell, Ronald Nussbaum, Wanda Olech, Nikolay Orlov, Theodore Papenfuss, Gabriela Parra-Olea, William Perrin, Beth Polidoro, Mohammad Pourkazemi, Paul Racey, James Ragle, Mala Ram, Galen Rathbun, Robert Reynolds, Anders G.J. Rhodin, Stephen Richards, Lily Rodriguez, Santiago Ron, Carlo Rondinini, Anthony Rylands, Yvonne de Mitcheson, Jonnell Sanciangco, Kate Sanders, Georgina Santos-Barrera, Jan Schipper, Caryn Self-Sullivan, Yichuan Shi, Alan Shoemaker, Frederick Short, Claudio Sillero-Zubiri, Debora Silvano, Kevin Smith, Andrew T. Smith, Jos Snoeks, Alison Stattersfield, Andrew Symes, Andrew Taber, Bibhab Talukdar, Helen Temple, Rob Timmins, Joseph Tobias, Katerina Tsytsulina, Denis Tweddle, Carmen Ubeda, Sarah Valenti, Peter van Dijk, Liza Veiga, Alberto Veloso, David Wege, Mark Wilkinson, Elizabeth Williamson, Feng Xie, Bruce Young, H. Resit Akcakaya, Leon Bennun, Tim Blackburn, Luigi Boitani, Holly Dublin, Gustavo da Fonseca, Claude Gascon, Thomas E. Lacher, Georgina Mace, Susan Mainka, Jeffery McNeely, Russell Mittermeier, Gordon Reid, Jon Rodriguez, Andrew Rosenberg, Michael Samways, Jane Smart, Bruce Stein, Simon Stuart
Water levels, rapid vegetational changes, and the endangered Cape Sable seaside-sparrow Water levels, rapid vegetational changes, and the endangered Cape Sable seaside-sparrow
The legally endangered Cape Sable seaside-sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) is restricted to short-hydroperiod, marl prairies within Florida's Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. Marl prairies are typified by dense, mixed stands of graminoid species usually below 1 m in height, naturally inundated by freshwater for 3–7 months annually. Water levels affect...
Authors
M. Nott, O. Bass, D. Fleming, S. Killeffer, N. Fraley, L. Manne, J. Curnutt, Thomas M. Brooks, Robert Powell, S. Pimm
Population dynamics of the endangered Cape Sable seaside-sparrow Population dynamics of the endangered Cape Sable seaside-sparrow
The Cape Sable seaside-sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) has disappeared from its only known breeding areas episodically since its discovery early this century. Systematic surveys across its range in the southern Everglades find the sparrow's range to be fragmented into six subpopulations. The sparrow population decreased by 58% between 1992 and 1995, with the near extinction of...
Authors
J. Curnutt, Audrey Mayer, Thomas M. Brooks, L. Manne, O. Bass, D. Fleming, M. Nott, Stuart Pimm
Science and Products
Environmental Geochemistry
Coastal Environmental Geochemistry research at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center spans multiple ecosystems and topics, including coastal wetlands, aquifers, and estuaries, with the goal of providing data and guidance to federal, state, local, and private land owners and managers on these vital ecosystems.
Geochemical Data Supporting Analysis of Fate and Transport of Nitrogen in the Nearshore Groundwater and Subterranean Estuary near East Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2015-2016 Geochemical Data Supporting Analysis of Fate and Transport of Nitrogen in the Nearshore Groundwater and Subterranean Estuary near East Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2015-2016
Geochemical data were obtained to investigate the fate and transport of nitrogen in a subterranean estuary near East Falmouth, Massachusetts. The goal of this investigation was to assess nitrogen attenuation in the aquifer under the Eel River estuary and the adjacent peninsula, introduced as inorganic nitrogen that was densely populated with residences havingfrom residential septic...
Nearshore groundwater seepage and geochemical data measured in 2015 at Guinea Creek, Rehoboth Bay, Delaware Nearshore groundwater seepage and geochemical data measured in 2015 at Guinea Creek, Rehoboth Bay, Delaware
Assessment of biogeochemical processes and transformations at the aquifer-estuary interface and measurement of the chemical flux from submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) zones to coastal water bodies are critical for evaluating ecosystem service, geochemical budgets, and eutrophication status. The U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Delaware measured rates of SGD and...
Carbon dioxide and methane fluxes with supporting environmental data from coastal wetlands across Cape Cod, Massachusetts (ver 2.0, June 2022) Carbon dioxide and methane fluxes with supporting environmental data from coastal wetlands across Cape Cod, Massachusetts (ver 2.0, June 2022)
Saline tidal wetlands are important sites of carbon sequestration and produce negligible methane (CH4) emissions due to regular inundation with sulfate-rich seawater. Yet, widespread management of coastal hydrology has restricted vast areas of coastal wetlands to tidal exchange. These ecosystems often undergo impoundment and freshening, which in turn cause vegetation shifts like invasion...
Continuous Water Level, Salinity, and Temperature Data from Coastal Wetland Monitoring Wells, Cape Cod, Massachusetts (ver. 3.0, September 2025) Continuous Water Level, Salinity, and Temperature Data from Coastal Wetland Monitoring Wells, Cape Cod, Massachusetts (ver. 3.0, September 2025)
Environmental parameters affecting plant productivity and microbial respiration, such as water level, salinity, and groundwater temperature included in these datasets, are key components of wetland carbon cycling, carbon storage, and capacity to maintain elevation. Data were collected to (1) provide background data to evaluate potential differences in water level and carbon flux between...
Geochemical data supporting analysis of fate and transport of nitrogen in the near shore groundwater and subterranean estuary near East Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2015 Geochemical data supporting analysis of fate and transport of nitrogen in the near shore groundwater and subterranean estuary near East Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2015
Geochemical data were obtained to investigate the fate and transport of nitrogen in a subterranean estuary near East Falmouth, Massachusetts. The goal of this investigation was to assess nitrogen attenuation in the aquifer under the Eel River Estuary and the adjacent peninsula that was densely populated with residences having septic systems and legacy cesspool inputs of inorganic...
Geochemical data supporting investigation of solute and particle cycling and fluxes from two tidal wetlands on the south shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2012-19 (ver. 3.0, January 2025) Geochemical data supporting investigation of solute and particle cycling and fluxes from two tidal wetlands on the south shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2012-19 (ver. 3.0, January 2025)
Assessment of geochemical cycling within tidal wetlands and measurement of fluxes of dissolved and particulate constituents between wetlands and coastal water bodies are critical to evaluating ecosystem function, service, and status. The U.S. Geological Survey and collaborators collected surface water and porewater geochemical data from a tidal wetland located on the eastern shore of...
Continuous Monitoring Data From Herring River Wetlands Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2015-Jan2020 Continuous Monitoring Data From Herring River Wetlands Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2015-Jan2020
The Herring River estuary (Wellfleet, Cape Cod, Massachusetts) has been tidally restricted for over a century by a dike constructed near the mouth of the river. Behind the dike, the tidal restriction has caused the conversion of salt marsh wetlands to various other ecosystems including impounded freshwater marshes, flooded shrub land, drained forested upland, and wetlands dominated by...
Continuous Monitoring Data From Great Barnstable Marsh on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2017-19 Continuous Monitoring Data From Great Barnstable Marsh on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2017-19
Salt marshes are environmental ecosystems that contribute to coastal landscape resiliency to storms and rising sea level. Ninety percent of mid-Atlantic and New England salt marshes have been impacted by parallel grid ditching that began in the 1920s–40s to control mosquito populations and to provide employment opportunities during the Great Depression (James-Pirri and others, 2009...
Time-series of biogeochemical and flow data from a tidal salt-marsh creek, Sage Lot Pond, Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, 2012-2016 (ver. 2.0, July 2023) Time-series of biogeochemical and flow data from a tidal salt-marsh creek, Sage Lot Pond, Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, 2012-2016 (ver. 2.0, July 2023)
Extended time-series sensor data were collected between 2012 and 2016 in surface water of a tidal salt-marsh creek on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The objective of this field study was to measure water chemical characteristics and flows, as part of a study to quantify lateral fluxes of dissolved carbon species between the salt marsh and estuary. Data consist of in-situ measurements including...
Geochemical data supporting analysis of geochemical conditions and nitrogen transport in nearshore groundwater and the subterranean estuary at a Cape Cod embayment, East Falmouth, Massachusetts Geochemical data supporting analysis of geochemical conditions and nitrogen transport in nearshore groundwater and the subterranean estuary at a Cape Cod embayment, East Falmouth, Massachusetts
This data release provides analytical and other data in support of an analysis of nitrogen transport and transformation in groundwater and in a subterranean estuary in the Eel River and onshore locations on the Seacoast Shores peninsula, Falmouth, Massachusetts. The analysis is described in U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5095 by Colman and others (2018)...
Coastal Groundwater Chemical Data from the North and South Shores of Long Island, New York Coastal Groundwater Chemical Data from the North and South Shores of Long Island, New York
Groundwater data were collected in the spring and fall of 2008 from three sites representing different geological settings and biogeochemical conditions within the surficial glacial aquifer of Long Island, NY. Investigations were designed to examine the extent to which average vadose zone thickness in contributing watersheds controlled biogeochemical conditions and processes, including...
The δ13C signature of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon reveals complex carbon transformations within a salt marsh The δ13C signature of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon reveals complex carbon transformations within a salt marsh
Coastal wetlands have high rates of atmospheric CO2 uptake, which is subsequently respired back to the atmosphere, stored as organic matter within flooded, anoxic soils, or exported to the coastal ocean. Transformation of fixed carbon occurs through a variety of subsurface aerobic and anaerobic microbial processes, and results in a large inventory of dissolved carbon. Carbon source and...
Authors
Meagan Eagle, Kevin Kroeger, John Pohlman, J.J. Tamborski, Z.A. Wang, Thomas Brooks, Jennifer O’Keefe Suttles, Adrian Mann
Evidence of mineral alteration in a salt marsh subterranean estuary: Implications for carbon and trace element cycling Evidence of mineral alteration in a salt marsh subterranean estuary: Implications for carbon and trace element cycling
Subterranean estuaries (STE) in salt marshes are biogeochemically active zones where interactions between terrestrial groundwater and seawater drive complex cycling of carbon and trace elements, influenced by mineral dissolution. These systems, characterized by fine-grained organic-rich peat overlying permeable coastal aquifers, play a crucial role as a blue carbon sink, yet their...
Authors
J.J. Tamborski, Meagan Eagle, M.T. Thorpe, M.A. Charette, B. Kurylyk, S. Rahman, Kevin Kroeger, Jennifer O’Keefe Suttles, Adrian Mann, Thomas Brooks, Z.A. Wang
Evidence of nitrate attenuation in intertidal and subtidal groundwater in a subterranean estuary at a Cape Cod embayment, East Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2015–16 Evidence of nitrate attenuation in intertidal and subtidal groundwater in a subterranean estuary at a Cape Cod embayment, East Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2015–16
Nitrogen dynamics in intertidal and nearshore subtidal groundwater (subterranean estuary) adjacent to the Seacoast Shores peninsula, Falmouth, Massachusetts, were investigated during 2015–16 by the U.S. Geological Survey. The peninsula is a densely populated residential area with septic systems and cesspools that are substantial sources of nitrogen to groundwater. The study area is in...
Authors
Thomas G. Huntington, Kevin Kroeger, Timothy D. McCobb, J.K. Bohlke, John A. Colman, Thomas Brooks, Beata Syzmczycha
Impoundment increases methane emissions in Phragmites-invaded coastal wetlands Impoundment increases methane emissions in Phragmites-invaded coastal wetlands
Saline tidal wetlands are important sites of carbon sequestration and produce negligible methane (CH4) emissions due to regular inundation with sulfate-rich seawater. Yet, widespread management of coastal hydrology has restricted tidal exchange in vast areas of coastal wetlands. These ecosystems often undergo impoundment and freshening, which in turn cause vegetation shifts like invasion...
Authors
Rebecca Sanders-DeMott, Meagan Eagle, Kevin Kroeger, Faming Wang, Thomas Brooks, Jennifer O’Keefe Suttles, Sydney Nick, Adrian Mann, Jianwu Tang
Oxygen-controlled recirculating seepage meter reveals extent of nitrogen transformation in discharging coastal groundwater at the aquifer–estuary interface Oxygen-controlled recirculating seepage meter reveals extent of nitrogen transformation in discharging coastal groundwater at the aquifer–estuary interface
Nutrient loads delivered to estuaries via submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) play an important role in the nitrogen (N) budget and eutrophication status. However, accurate and reliable quantification of the chemical flux across the final decimeters and centimeters at the sediment–estuary interface remains a challenge, because there is significant potential for biogeochemical...
Authors
Thomas Brooks, Kevin Kroeger, Holly Michael, Joanna York
Substantial nitrous oxide emissions from intertidal sediments and groundwater in anthropogenically-impacted West Falmouth Harbor, Massachusetts Substantial nitrous oxide emissions from intertidal sediments and groundwater in anthropogenically-impacted West Falmouth Harbor, Massachusetts
Large N2O emissions were observed from intertidal sediments in a coastal estuary, West Falmouth Harbor, MA, USA. Average N2O emission rates from 41 chambers during summer 2008 were 10.7 mol N2O m(-2) h(-1)±4.43 μmol N2O m(-2) h(-1) (standard error). Emissions were highest from sediments within a known wastewater plume, where a maximum N2O emission rate was 155 μmol N2O m(-2) h(-1)...
Authors
Serena Moseman-Valtierra, Kevin Kroeger, John Crusius, Sandy Baldwin, Adrian Mann, Thomas Brooks, E. Pugh
Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements near the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland, 2011 Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements near the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland, 2011
Suspended-sediment transport is a critical element governing the geomorphology of tidal marshes. Marshes rely on both organic material and inorganic sediment deposition to maintain their elevation relative to sea level. In wetlands near the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland, portions of the salt marsh have been subsiding relative to sea level since the early 20th century...
Authors
Neil K. Ganju, Patrick J. Dickhudt, Ellyn T. Montgomery, Patrick Brennand, R. Derby, Thomas Brooks, Glenn Guntenspergen, Marinna Martini, Jonathan Borden, Sandra M. Baldwin
The impact of conservation on the status of the world's vertebrates The impact of conservation on the status of the world's vertebrates
Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world's vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: On average, 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. However, this...
Authors
Michael Hoffmann, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Ariadne Angulo, Monika Bohm, Thomas M. Brooks, Stuart Butchart, Kent Carpenter, Janice Chanson, Ben Collen, Neil Cox, William Darwall, Nicholas Dulvy, Lucy Harrison, Vineet Katariya, Caroline Pollock, Suhel Quader, Nadia Richman, Ana Rodrigues, Marcelo Tognelli, Jean-Christophe Vie, John Aguiar, David Allen, Gerald Allen, Giovanni Amori, Natalia Ananjeva, Franco Androene, Paul Andrew, Aida Ortiz, Jonathan Baillie, Ricardo Baldi, Ben Bell, S.D. Biju, Jeremy Bird, Patricia Black-Decima, J. Blanc, Federico Bolanos, Wilmar Bolivar-G., Ian Burfield, James Burton, David Capper, Fernando Castro, Gianluca Catullo, Rachel Cavanagh, Alan Channing, Ning Chao, Anna Chenery, Federica Chiozza, Viola Clausnitzer, Nigel J. Collar, Leah Collett, Bruce Collette, Claudia Cortez Fernandez, Matthew T. Craig, Michael Crosby, Neil Cumberlidge, Annabelle Cuttelod, Andrew Derocher, Arvin Diesmos, John Donaldson, J.W. Duckworth, Guy Dutson, S.K. Dutta, Richard Emslie, Aljos Farjon, Sarah Fowler, Jorg Freyhof, David L. Garshelis, Justin Gerlach, David Gower, Tandora Grant, Geoffrey Hammerson, Richard B. Harris, Lawrence Heaney, S. Hedges, Jean-Marc Hero, Baz Hughes, Syed Hussain, Javier Icochea, Robert Inger, Nobuo Ishii, Djoko Iskandar, Richard K.B. Jenkins, Yoshio Kaneko, Maurice Kottelat, Kit Kovacs, Sergius Kuzmin, Enrique La Marca, John Lamoreux, Michael Lau, Esteban Lavilla, Kristin Leus, Rebecca L. Lewison, Gabriela Lichtenstein, Suzanne Livingstone, Vimoksolehi Lukoschek, David Mallon, Philip McGowan, Anna McIvor, Patricia Moehlman, Sanjay Molur, Antonio Alonso, John Musick, Kristin Nowell, Ronald Nussbaum, Wanda Olech, Nikolay Orlov, Theodore Papenfuss, Gabriela Parra-Olea, William Perrin, Beth Polidoro, Mohammad Pourkazemi, Paul Racey, James Ragle, Mala Ram, Galen Rathbun, Robert Reynolds, Anders G.J. Rhodin, Stephen Richards, Lily Rodriguez, Santiago Ron, Carlo Rondinini, Anthony Rylands, Yvonne de Mitcheson, Jonnell Sanciangco, Kate Sanders, Georgina Santos-Barrera, Jan Schipper, Caryn Self-Sullivan, Yichuan Shi, Alan Shoemaker, Frederick Short, Claudio Sillero-Zubiri, Debora Silvano, Kevin Smith, Andrew T. Smith, Jos Snoeks, Alison Stattersfield, Andrew Symes, Andrew Taber, Bibhab Talukdar, Helen Temple, Rob Timmins, Joseph Tobias, Katerina Tsytsulina, Denis Tweddle, Carmen Ubeda, Sarah Valenti, Peter van Dijk, Liza Veiga, Alberto Veloso, David Wege, Mark Wilkinson, Elizabeth Williamson, Feng Xie, Bruce Young, H. Resit Akcakaya, Leon Bennun, Tim Blackburn, Luigi Boitani, Holly Dublin, Gustavo da Fonseca, Claude Gascon, Thomas E. Lacher, Georgina Mace, Susan Mainka, Jeffery McNeely, Russell Mittermeier, Gordon Reid, Jon Rodriguez, Andrew Rosenberg, Michael Samways, Jane Smart, Bruce Stein, Simon Stuart
Water levels, rapid vegetational changes, and the endangered Cape Sable seaside-sparrow Water levels, rapid vegetational changes, and the endangered Cape Sable seaside-sparrow
The legally endangered Cape Sable seaside-sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) is restricted to short-hydroperiod, marl prairies within Florida's Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. Marl prairies are typified by dense, mixed stands of graminoid species usually below 1 m in height, naturally inundated by freshwater for 3–7 months annually. Water levels affect...
Authors
M. Nott, O. Bass, D. Fleming, S. Killeffer, N. Fraley, L. Manne, J. Curnutt, Thomas M. Brooks, Robert Powell, S. Pimm
Population dynamics of the endangered Cape Sable seaside-sparrow Population dynamics of the endangered Cape Sable seaside-sparrow
The Cape Sable seaside-sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) has disappeared from its only known breeding areas episodically since its discovery early this century. Systematic surveys across its range in the southern Everglades find the sparrow's range to be fragmented into six subpopulations. The sparrow population decreased by 58% between 1992 and 1995, with the near extinction of...
Authors
J. Curnutt, Audrey Mayer, Thomas M. Brooks, L. Manne, O. Bass, D. Fleming, M. Nott, Stuart Pimm