This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) will support a collaborative research project led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) to study monomethylmercury in natural phytoplankton assemblages. The $335,410 award, effective June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2027, will investigate the fundamental processes governing the uptake of monomethylmercury, a highly toxic form of mercury, by phytoplankton in the western North Atlantic Ocean and its estuaries.
The research team will test hypotheses about the mechanisms and controls on monomethylmercury uptake by phytoplankton, including the roles of cell size, dissolved organic carbon, heterotrophy, and growth rate. The project will provide training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, and conduct outreach activities in collaboration with the Yale Peabody Museum to share the research findings with the public. The novel data and insights generated from this project are expected to improve modeling efforts related to monomethylmercury cycling in marine ecosystems.
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