Table of Contents

• Coverage
• Dataset Description
  • Methods & Sampling
  • Data Processing Description
• Data Files
• Related Publications
• Parameters
• Instruments
• Project Information
• Funding

Samples were collected from the Sage Lot Pond salt marsh tidal creek in Waquoit Bay, MA at approx. 41.5546N, 70.5071W.

Discrete bottle samples were collected at ~30 cm above the bottom of the tidal creek every 1-2 h at the sampling site using a peristaltic or diaphragm pump for periods of a full tidal cycle (~12–14 h). DIC collection and analysis followed standard best practice procedures outlined by Dickson et al. (2007). Samples were collected through purgeable capsule filters with 0.45 μm pore size (Farrwest Environmental Supply, Texas, USA) into 250 mL borosilicate bottles, poisoned with 100 uL saturated mercuric chloride, sealed with a glass stopper coated with APIEZON® – L grease, and se- cured with a rubber band.

DIC was analyzed using an Apollo SciTech DIC auto-analyzer (Model AS-C3), which uses a nondispersive infrared (NDIR) method. The sample is acidified with a 10% phosphoric acid in 10% sodium chloride solution, and CO2 is purged with high purity nitrogen gas and measured by a LI-COR 7000 infrared analyzer (LI-COR Environmental, Nebraska, USA). Certified Reference Material (CRM) from Dr. A. Dickson at Scripps Institution of Oceanography was used to calibrate the DIC auto-analyzer at least once daily. In addition, CRM was measured as a sample every few hours to gauge and correct any potential drift. The precision and accuracy of the instrument was ~ ±2.0 μmol kg-1.

TA was measured with an Apollo SciTech alkalinity auto-titrator (Model AS-ALK2), a Ross combination pH electrode and a pH meter (ORION 3 Star) to perform a modified Gran titration [Wang and Cai, 2004]. The electrode and concentration of hydrochloric acid was calibrated every day. The CRMs were also measured as samples every few hours to correct any potential small drift. The accuracy and precision of the instrument was about ± 2.0 μmol kg-1.

An EXO2 Multiparameter Sonde (YSI Inc., Yellow Springs, OH) was submerged in the tidal creek to measure temperature and salinity. The YSI EXO2 recorded at intervals ranging from 2 min to 8 min. Reported YSI EXO2 sensor accuracy specifications are: 1% of the reading for salinity and 0.05 °C for temperature.

All EXO2 sensors were cleaned and calibrated regularly according to manufacturer recommended methods to maintain performance, and antifouling measures were deployed including copper and automated wiping. After a deployment period of 2–4 weeks, YSI EXO2 data were evaluated for fouling and calibration drift. The YSI EXO2 was recalibrated and a correction factor based on calibration standards was applied linearly across the deployment as needed. A maximum correction up to ± 30% of the calibration value was allowed or otherwise discarded (Wagner et al., 2006). Salinity and temperature values were interpolated to match the same time as the bottle sample collection.

BCO-DMO Processing:
- modified parameter names (replaced spaces with underscores; removed units of measurement);
- formatted date/time to ISO format;
- replaced blanks with "nd" ("no data)".

NSF Award Abstract:
Carbon production in vegetated coastal systems such as marshes is among the highest in the biosphere. Resolving carbon production from marshes and assessing their impacts on coastal carbon cycling are critical to determining the long-term impacts of global change such as ocean acidification and eutrophication. In this project, researchers will use new methods to improve the assessment of carbon production from salt marshes. The overarching goals are to understand the role of coastal wetlands in altering carbonate chemistry, alkalinity, and carbon budgets of the coastal ocean, as well as their capacity to buffer against anthropogenically driven chemical changes, such as ocean acidification. This project will involve training for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers, and will provide educational opportunities for students from a local Native American tribe.

Tidal water, after exchange with intertidal salt marshes, contains higher total alkalinity (TA), higher carbon dioxide, but lower pH. These highly productive, vegetated wetlands are deemed to export both alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) to the ocean. This creates an apppartent paradox in that salt marshes are both an acidifying and alkalizing source to the ocean. Limited studies suggest that marsh DIC and alkalinity export fluxes may be a significant player in regional and global carbon budgets, but the current estimates are still far too uncertain to be conclusive. Unfortunately, tidal marsh ecosystems have dramatically diminished in the recent past, and are likely to diminish further due to sea level rise, land development, eutrophication, and other anthropogenic pressures. To assess the potential impacts of this future change, it is imperative to understand its current status and accurately evaluate its significatce to other parts of the carbon cycle. Similarly, little is know about the distinct sources of DIC and alkalinity being exported from marshes via tidal exchange, although aerobic and various anaerobic respiration processes have been indicated. In this study, researchers will undertake an in-depth study using new methods to vastly improve export fluxes from intertidal salt marshes through tidal exchange over minutes to annual scales, characterize and evaluate the compostiion (carbonate versus non-carbonate alkalinity) of marsh exported TA, the role and significance of the DOC pool in altering carbonate chemistry and export fluxes, identify sources of DIC being exported in tidal water, and investigate how marsh export of TA and DIC impacts carbonate chemistry and the carbon and alkalinity budgets in coastal waters.