Publications by authors named "R W Fulweiler"
Article Synopsis
- Oyster reefs are vital but endangered habitats that support ecosystem services and biodiversity, particularly for the flat oyster (Ostrea angasi) in Australia.
- Research in southeast Tasmania focused on relationships between community respiration, nitrogen fluxes, filtration rates, and oyster and sediment characteristics across three sites, finding significant positive correlations with live oyster biomass.
- The study indicated that Ralphs Bay, with the most intact reef, had higher community respiration and biodiversity, while sediment's organic and silt content had minimal effects, emphasizing the importance of oyster biomass for improving water quality and ecosystem health.
Background: Combined sewer overflow (CSO) events release untreated wastewater into surface waterbodies during heavy precipitation and snowmelt. Combined sewer systems serve people in the United States, primarily in urban and suburban municipalities in the Midwest and Northeast. Predicted increases in heavy precipitation events driven by climate change underscore the importance of quantifying potential health risks associated with CSO events.
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- The global aquaculture industry, particularly oyster farming, influences coastal sediment ecosystems by altering resources available to microbes through their filter-feeding activities.
- Using a chronosequence approach over seven years, researchers observed changes in the composition and function of sediment microbial communities due to oyster farming practices.
- Findings revealed increased diversity and a shift towards anoxic tolerance in bacterial communities, but showed resilience to long-term change and no significant heavy metal accumulation, highlighting the need for sustainable aquaculture practices.
Salt marshes sit at the terrestrial-aquatic interface of oceans around the world. Unique features of salt marshes that differentiate them from their upland or offshore counterparts include high rates of primary production from vascular plants and saturated saline soils that lead to sharp redox gradients and a diversity of electron acceptors and donors. Moreover, the dynamic nature of root oxygen loss and tidal forcing leads to unique biogeochemical conditions that promote nitrogen cycling.
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- Heterosigma akashiwo has a specialized enzyme (NR2-2/2HbN) that can convert nitric oxide (NO) into usable nitrate for its growth.
- Previous studies indicated that H. akashiwo's nitrate reductase activity is affected by different nitrogen sources, specifically being boosted by nitrate and inhibited by ammonium.
- Recent findings suggest that H. akashiwo can efficiently assimilate NO for growth, especially when acclimated to ammonium environments, potentially giving it an advantage in nitrogen-scarce conditions.