Clear glass incubation bottles with Colorado River water and sediment for an experiment on phosphorus cycling
Bridget R Deemer, Ph.D.
Broadly, I am interested in how human activities are affecting the way that energy and nutrients cycle through ecosystems. My research aims to better characterize how reservoirs can affect the transport and transformation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and other biologically relevant elements.
My research also explores the potential role of management in affecting ecosystem function. Identifying reservoir management win-wins as well as trade-offs is critical as the quantity and quality of water becomes increasingly variable under a changing climate. Currently, I am working on a project to understand how conditions in Lake Powell (and the associated management of Glen Canyon Dam) are affecting ecosystem metabolism in the Colorado River.
Science and Products
Building a roadmap to integrate freshwater wetlands into the National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory
Inter-agency, in-person, collaborative workshop with scientists and stakeholders to fill a major information gap.
Lake Powell Research
Lake Powell is a large arid reservoir that represents about 70% of the water storage capacity for the Upper Colorado River Basin. It is the second largest reservoir in the United States by capacity (second only to Lake Mead). Lake Powell is an oligotrophic reservoir, which means that nutrient concentrations and algal production are generally low. This often results in very clear-water conditions...
Uncovering the Base of the Food Web: Primary Production Dynamics in the Colorado River
Algae, phytoplankton, and rooted macrophytes represent the base of many aquatic food webs and are known as primary producers. Through photosynthesis, these organisms convert sunlight energy into chemical energy (i.e., carbon) that in turn fuels the growth of animals such as macroinvertebrates and fish. This project uses high frequency measurements of dissolved oxygen, which is a by-product of...
Incubation experiment with Colorado River water and sediment
Clear glass incubation bottles with Colorado River water and sediment for an experiment on phosphorus cycling
Science and Products
Building a roadmap to integrate freshwater wetlands into the National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory
Inter-agency, in-person, collaborative workshop with scientists and stakeholders to fill a major information gap.
Lake Powell Research
Lake Powell is a large arid reservoir that represents about 70% of the water storage capacity for the Upper Colorado River Basin. It is the second largest reservoir in the United States by capacity (second only to Lake Mead). Lake Powell is an oligotrophic reservoir, which means that nutrient concentrations and algal production are generally low. This often results in very clear-water conditions...
Uncovering the Base of the Food Web: Primary Production Dynamics in the Colorado River
Algae, phytoplankton, and rooted macrophytes represent the base of many aquatic food webs and are known as primary producers. Through photosynthesis, these organisms convert sunlight energy into chemical energy (i.e., carbon) that in turn fuels the growth of animals such as macroinvertebrates and fish. This project uses high frequency measurements of dissolved oxygen, which is a by-product of...
Incubation experiment with Colorado River water and sediment
Clear glass incubation bottles with Colorado River water and sediment for an experiment on phosphorus cycling
Clear glass incubation bottles with Colorado River water and sediment for an experiment on phosphorus cycling