Suspended organic particles are important to river food webs and in the transfer of organic carbon from land to ocean. In an experiment conducted in Stroud Water Research Center’s streamside flumes, researchers verified that biofilms — algae and microbes that coat streambed surfaces — continually trap and release organic particles, thereby controlling their rate of downstream migration. The results of this and other experiments from this project are being used to model the influence of headwater streams on the downstream river network.
(Project details may change over the lifespan of a project. The project description listed here is from the annual report of the most recent project year.)
Funded by: National Science Foundation (NSF) DEB 0543526
Principal Investigator:
- 2010-2011: J. Denis Newbold, Anthony K. Aufdenkampe, and Louis A. Kaplan (Stroud Water Research Center), Aaron I. Packman (Northwestern University) and James N. McNair (Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia)
- 2006-2009: J. Denis Newbold
Collaborators: (2006-2009) Anthony K. Aufdenkampe and Louis A. Kaplan (Stroud Water Research Center), Aaron I. Packman (Northwestern University) and James N. McNair (Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia)
Project Years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
