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Coastal Watersheds

Instructor: James McClelland (MBL)

Course Description:

Estuarine ecosystems are strongly influenced by terrestrial inputs, and changes in the quantity and quality of water flowing from land into these ecosystems are altering their function.  This course examines how human activities on land alter flow of water and water-borne materials from coastal watersheds to adjoining estuaries. Field work focusing on local watershed-estuary systems will explore how changes in land use have increased nutrient inputs to Cape Cod estuaries, and how the estuarine ecosystems have changed as a consequence. Activities will include sampling of groundwater and surface water; laboratory analyses of nutrient content and other parameters that help diagnose human impacts; and estimation of nutrient input rates (using field-based calculations as well modeling techniques) to different estuaries. This course fosters fundamental understanding of principles in watershed hydrology and biogeochemistry as well as advanced exploration of coupling between terrestrial and aquatic systems.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

During this 3-week course, students will learn how surface and groundwater flows from watersheds to estuaries are quantified; how natural processes and human activities influence the quality of this water (particularly nutrient content); and how information about flow rates and water quality are used to estimate nutrient inputs from watersheds to estuaries.  Students will also learn about how coastal ecosystems respond to increases in nutrient inputs and strategies for mitigating these inputs. Alongside subject knowledge development, students will acquire skills in water flow measurements, water quality sampling, and laboratory analyses of water samples.  They will also develop skills in watershed nutrient budget modeling, data analysis, and data presentation.       

Course Structure

The course is organized into focused two- to four-day modules that include lectures, field trips, and lab activities.

Lectures

  • Introduction to the Coastal Watersheds Concept
  • Causes and Consequences of Coastal Eutrophication
  • Watershed-Estuary Coupling on Cape Cod
  • Stable Isotopic Tracking of Wastewater Nitrogen into Coastal Food Webs
  • Mitigation Strategies

Field trips

  • Waquoit Bay watershed-estuary system
    • Stream/river flow measurements
    • Groundwater sampling
    • Biota sampling for stable isotope analyses
  • Falmouth Wastewater Treatment Facility
  • Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Technology Center

Lab activities

  • Water sample analyses (nutrient concentration measurements)
  • Preparation of biota samples for stable isotope analyses
  • Measurement-based estimation of nutrient inputs to estuaries
  • GIS-based estimation of nutrient inputs to estuaries
  • Data analysis and presentation workshops

Grading

15% Active Participation
25% Presentations
30% Lab Reports
30% Final Exam