Maura Bozeman

Research Interests

My research focuses on how carbon and nutrient metabolism by autotrophs and heterotrophs influence the fate of nutrients in aquatic ecosystems.

Maura's experimental setup

Complex feedback mechanisms occur with the loading of inorganic nutrients and dissolved organic matter (DOM) that differs in lability and nutrient content. While heterotrophs will initially cycle the carbon and nutrients from imported DOM, to determine the net effect on the ecosystem, we need to understand how autotrophs will respond as well. Feedbacks, such as increased competition for nutrients, can decrease autotrophic production and gross primary production and result in less organic carbon for storage or use by higher trophic levels in lakes. Lability and nutrient content of imported DOM directly and indirectly affects ecosystem cycling of CO₂ and organic carbon. Indirect pathways therefore may buffer or exacerbate the direct effect of DOM and nutrient loading on the ecosystem.

• email
• CV