91±¬ÁÏ

July 19, 2018 Graduate Program, News & Events, Research

ÌýÌýreported on a study led by Amanda Gavin, an ecology and environmental sciences graduate student at the 91±¬ÁÏ. 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.