Project Grant 2241668

The National Science Foundation awarded a $410,518 three-year Project Grant to The University of Puget Sound under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to conduct research on aerobic methane production in ocean environments. The university will collaborate with scientists in the U.S. and Israel to study the microbial processes that produce methane through the degradation of organic compounds in the surface waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. Researchers will measure methane concentrations and stable carbon isotopes to test the hypothesis that different nutrient limitations in the two basins lead to distinct methane-producing pathways. Field work will be conducted off Hawaii to collect water samples for geochemical and biological analysis. Laboratory experiments will examine bacteria's ability to convert methylamines and methylphosphonates into methane. Undergraduate students will participate in the interdisciplinary research, and findings will be integrated into marine science coursework. The goal is to further understanding of aerobic methane production processes in the environment. The three-year project award was issued on July 1, 2023 and totals $410,518 in funding.