Eos: Earth and Space Science News reports on study by UMaine grad student
Eos: Earth and Space Science News reported on a study led by Amanda Gavin, an ecology and environmental sciences graduate student at the University of Maine. The study investigated the effects of acid rain and climate change on freshwater lakes. The researchers analyzed a subset of high-elevation Maine lakes, which are more sensitive to environmental change than lower-elevation lakes and are considered sentinel sites that could warn of further changes. The study tracked the fluctuations in concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) resulting from environmental changes over a 30-year period. DOC is naturally occurring, but its presence and distribution have been increasing as a result of climate change. The study’s results established a baseline for the sensitivity of northeastern U.S. lakes to climate change and suggested that broader change could be coming.