RUI:  The Importance of Clays and Dissolved Organic Matter  to the Trophic Base of Turbid Lake Ecosystems
{'Code': '08010208', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'DEB', 'LongName': 'Division Of Environmental Biology'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Althea Ball', 'PO_EMAI': 'aball@nsf.gov', 'PO_PHON': '7032920000'}
Clay turbidity inhibits the phytoplankton production of                    lakes.  This research will investigate a compensatory role for                  clays in an alternate trophic pathway.  It is hypothesized that                 dissolved organic matter (DOM) is more available to higher                      trophic levels through concentration on clay particles.                         Specifically:  (1) clay particles adsorb significant quantities                 of DOM (the nutritional value of which varies with the source) to               facilitate bacterial production; and (2) as a result of bacterial               surface growth, clay particles with adsorbed DOM aggregate into                 larger particles.                                                                    The research will examine the relative importance of                       autotrophy and heterotrophy, and the mechanisms by which clay                   particles are important in lake food webs.  The project answers                 four questions:  (1) Does the quantity of clay turbidity affect                 the absolute as well as the relative amounts of bacterial                       production and phytoplankton production?  (2) Does the quantity                 of clay turbidity affect bacterial use of phytoplankton exudates?               (3) Does the sorptive or aggregative capacity of the clays vary                 with the nature of the DOM (allochthonous vs. autochthonous)?                   (4) Does bacterial growth on aggregates affect the size of the                  clay-organic-bacteria aggregates?                                                    Lake Chapala's predictable spatial and temporal gradients of               suspended clay concentrations allows a combination of laboratory                and field experimentation to test hypotheses.  Answers will                     permit a new trophic model appropriate to lakes and reservoirs                  with high clay turbidity.  Managers may be able to replace                      management practices (water quality and fisheries) based on                     traditional models.  This alternate pathway is especially                       important in tropical lakes because year-around warm waters                     enable consistently high bacterial activity.                                         This project is funded under the RUI initiative.  It is                    unique in its involvement of undergraduates in field work in the                tropics and through its use of international collaborators.
{'FirstName': 'Owen', 'LastName': 'Lind', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'T', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Owen T Lind', 'EmailAddress': 'owen_lind@baylor.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000255581', 'StartDate': '07/15/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'Baylor University', 'CityName': 'WACO', 'ZipCode': '767061003', 'PhoneNumber': '2547103817', 'StreetAddress': '700 S UNIVERSITY PARKS DR', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Texas', 'StateCode': 'TX', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '17', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'TX17', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'C6T9BYG5EYX5', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'BAYLOR UNIVERSITY', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
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{'Code': '9120', 'Text': 'CROSS-DIRECTORATE PROGRAMS'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1988&All=true', 'xml': '8807341.xml'}