The NSF Award Search web API provides a web API interface to the Research.gov's Research Spending and Results data, which provides NSF research award information from 2007.

This web API contains FY 2001-FY 2016 NSF funding rates for competitive research proposals by organizational unit. The funding rate is calculated by dividing the number of awards by the number of awards and declines.

Date, time, location, and depth range for MOCNESS tows access_formats=.htmlTable,.csv,.json,.mat,.nc,.tsv,.esriCsv,.geoJson,.odvTxt acquisition_description=See Wishner et al. 2013, 2018, and 2019 (online preprint in review) for details and results.\u00a0 Sampling for zooplankton occurred on the upcast portion of the tow.\u00a0 Samples were preserved in borate-buffered formaldehyde at sea.\u00a0 Zooplankton, especially copepods, were sorted and identified microscopically later in the lab.\u00a0\u00a0 awards_0_award_nid=734063 awards_0_award_number=OCE-0526502 awards_0_data_url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0526502 awards_0_funder_name=NSF Division of Ocean Sciences awards_0_funding_acronym=NSF OCE awards_0_funding_source_nid=355 awards_0_program_manager=David L. Garrison awards_0_program_manager_nid=50534 cdm_data_type=Other comment=Date, time, location, and depth range for MOCNESS tows from 2007-10-25 to 2016-05-02 PI: Karen Wishner Version: 2020-01-07 Conventions=COARDS, CF-1.6, ACDD-1.3 data_source=extract_data_as_tsv version 2.3 19 Dec 2019 defaultDataQuery=&time<now doi=10.1575/1912/bco-dmo.786098.1 Easternmost_Easting=-90.001 geospatial_lat_max=13.177 geospatial_lat_min=8.964 geospatial_lat_units=degrees_north geospatial_lon_max=-90.001 geospatial_lon_min=-105.296 geospatial_lon_units=degrees_east geospatial_vertical_max=1200.0 geospatial_vertical_min=100.0 geospatial_vertical_positive=down geospatial_vertical_units=m infoUrl=https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/786098 institution=BCO-DMO instruments_0_acronym=MOCNESS instruments_0_dataset_instrument_description=1 m2 MOCNESS instruments_0_dataset_instrument_nid=786122 instruments_0_description=The Multiple Opening/Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System or MOCNESS is a family of net systems based on the Tucker Trawl principle. There are currently 8 different sizes of MOCNESS in existence which are designed for capture of different size ranges of zooplankton and micro-nekton Each system is designated according to the size of the net mouth opening and in two cases, the number of nets it carries. The original MOCNESS (Wiebe et al, 1976) was a redesigned and improved version of a system described by Frost and McCrone (1974).(from MOCNESS manual) This designation is used when the specific type of MOCNESS (number and size of nets) was not specified by the contributing investigator. instruments_0_instrument_external_identifier=https://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/L22/current/NETT0097/ instruments_0_instrument_name=MOCNESS instruments_0_instrument_nid=511 instruments_0_supplied_name=MOCNESS metadata_source=https://www.bco-dmo.org/api/dataset/786098 Northernmost_Northing=13.177 param_mapping={'786098': {'Lat_In': 'flag - latitude', 'Lon_In': 'flag - longitude', 'ISO_DateTime_UTC': 'flag - time', 'Max_Depth': 'master - depth'}} parameter_source=https://www.bco-dmo.org/mapserver/dataset/786098/parameters people_0_affiliation=University of Rhode Island people_0_affiliation_acronym=URI-GSO people_0_person_name=Karen Wishner people_0_person_nid=50455 people_0_role=Principal Investigator people_0_role_type=originator people_1_affiliation=University of South Florida people_1_affiliation_acronym=USF people_1_person_name=Brad Seibel people_1_person_nid=51075 people_1_role=Co-Principal Investigator people_1_role_type=originator people_2_affiliation=Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution people_2_affiliation_acronym=WHOI BCO-DMO people_2_person_name=Mathew Biddle people_2_person_nid=708682 people_2_role=BCO-DMO Data Manager people_2_role_type=related project=ETP projects_0_acronym=ETP projects_0_description=This project aims to characterize the spatial and interannual variability of physical, chemical, and biological properties between low productivity and high productivity regions of the eastern tropical Pacific. In particular, we will investigate the physiology of bacteria, phytoplankton, and zooplankton and food web interactions in relation to the oxygen minimum zone. Our results also will provide information on how marine carbon and nitrogen cycles are modified in suboxic regions of the ocean. Measurements include: ADCP, temperature, salinity, O2, pH, total DIC, fCO2, nutrients, CDOM, POC/N, methane oxidation rates, denitrification rates, chlorophyll, phytoplankton C&N uptake rates, bacteria abundance/growth rates/molecular fingerprinting, lipid biomarkers, microzooplankton grazing rates, mesozooplankton abundance, distribution, and physiology, and particle flux rates. NSF abstract: The CARIACO (CArbon Retention In A Colored Ocean) Program is a time-series programs, with the central goal to better understand seasonal to decadal time-scales of processes governing ocean biogeochemistry. The CARIACO site is situated in the tropics on a productive continental margin off Venezuela, the basin is anoxic, and the site is strongly connected to paleoclimate investigations. Thus, CARIACO has the additional goal of relating modern oceanographic processes with the production, transformation, and preservation of particulate matter in the sediment record. Zooplankton composition, behavior, and physiological rates are important components of the biological pump. Recent findings from the Cariaco Basin and other regions with pelagic redoxclines (suboxic and anoxic interfaces) suggest that they are active regions of biogeochemical cycling, in which C may be directly transferred from bacterial production to zooplankton grazers. The goals of this project are to determine the vertical and horizontal distributions of zooplankton in relation to the redoxcline during two seasons using discrete-depth net samples and a vertical-profiling laser-line scan camera system. Anaerobic and aerobic respiration and metabolites, excretion, and egestion rates will be experimentally determined for vertical migrators and resident species nearsurface and at suboxic and anoxic depths to determine whether zooplankton differ in their release of metabolic and egested products, due to differences in their metabolism and/or composition of food resources. Grazing experiments, in combination with lipid biomarkers and stable isotopic compositions, will be used to assess in situ diet and long-term feeding history of zooplankton. Fecal pellet composition will be compared with pellets in sediment traps. Time-series zooplankton samples also will be analyzed to obtain temporal information on zooplankton community dynamics and allow a seasonal estimate of the zooplankton contribution to elemental fluxes. Intellectual Merit. One of the grand challenges of oceanography is to understand the processes that control the transformation and fate of organic carbon in marine systems. Meeting this challenge is hindered by a lack of basic information about factors that govern the response of biological activity to environmental forcing and climate change. In particular, the role of the marine biosphere in the global carbon cycle remains poorly constrained, in part due to uncertainties about biological controls on the quality and quantity of carbon export. This project will contribute to our knowledge of the role of mesozooplankton in biogeochemical cycles, especially in relation to how processes may be modified in regions with anoxic or suboxic layers and strong redox gradients, and will help to correctly understand the links between water column processes and climate history as recorded in the varved sediments of the Cariaco Basin. Broader Impacts. The zooplankton time-series will provide information on patterns of marine biodiversity and ecological interactions from a poorly known region. The CARIACO Program has an ongoing impact in technology transfer and human resource development in Venezuela. This project will help train personnel in Venezuela and will support several graduate students. The lead investigators and students will develop materials on the project for dissemination through the NSF-Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE) located at USF. Note [2019-12-17]: BCO-DMO Project page updated to reflect information at nfs.gov for this collaborative award. * Project tile changed from "Eastern Tropical Pacific" to the NSF award title "Collaborative Research: Zooplankton in the Redoxcline of the Cariaco Basin: Impact on Biogeochemical Cycling." * The other award number in this collaborative award added to the page OCE-0526502 * Person roles on the page updated to reflect the NSF award roles (PI or Co-PI) all others on the page changed to "Scientist" from "Co-PI" if not listed as a Co-PI on the NSF award. projects_0_end_date=2011-07 projects_0_geolocation=Eastern tropical Pacific projects_0_name=Collaborative Research: Zooplankton in the Redoxcline of the Cariaco Basin: Impact on Biogeochemical Cycling projects_0_project_nid=2071 projects_0_start_date=2006-08 sourceUrl=(local files) Southernmost_Northing=8.964 standard_name_vocabulary=CF Standard Name Table v55 time_coverage_end=2009-01-01T06:31:00Z time_coverage_start=2007-10-25T17:42:00Z version=1 Westernmost_Easting=-105.296 xml_source=osprey2erddap.update_xml() v1.3

Distribution of E. lori settlers on sponge habitat from sampling in South Water Caye, Belize in 2015. access_formats=.htmlTable,.csv,.json,.mat,.nc,.tsv acquisition_description=Divers surveyed each of the 120 tagged sponges for the presence or absence of E. lori settlers to test the hypothesis that habitat and/or social variables are related to the natural settler distribution (8 \u2013 18 mm SL; Table 1). We constructed a set of generalized linear models (distribution= binomial; link = logit) in R 3.2.3 (R Core Team 2015) to investigate the relationship between the presence or absence of an E. lori settler on a sponge (1 or 0) and all habitat and social variables (as defined above). Each variable was treated as an alternative hypothesis for the factors that predict the distribution of settlers. awards_0_award_nid=651264 awards_0_award_number=OCE-1459546 awards_0_data_url=http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=1459546 awards_0_funder_name=NSF Division of Ocean Sciences awards_0_funding_acronym=NSF OCE awards_0_funding_source_nid=355 awards_0_program_manager=Michael E. Sieracki awards_0_program_manager_nid=50446 cdm_data_type=Other comment=Distribution of E. lori settlers P. Buston and J. Majoris, PIs Version 28 Feb 2018 Conventions=COARDS, CF-1.6, ACDD-1.3 data_source=extract_data_as_tsv version 2.3 19 Dec 2019 defaultDataQuery=&time<now doi=10.1575/1912/bco-dmo.728451.1 infoUrl=https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/728451 institution=BCO-DMO metadata_source=https://www.bco-dmo.org/api/dataset/728451 param_mapping={'728451': {'Sp_depth': 'master - depth'}} parameter_source=https://www.bco-dmo.org/mapserver/dataset/728451/parameters people_0_affiliation=Boston University people_0_affiliation_acronym=BU people_0_person_name=Dr Peter Buston people_0_person_nid=544437 people_0_role=Principal Investigator people_0_role_type=originator people_1_affiliation=Boston University people_1_affiliation_acronym=BU people_1_person_name=Dr John Majoris people_1_person_nid=728439 people_1_role=Co-Principal Investigator people_1_role_type=originator people_2_affiliation=Boston University people_2_affiliation_acronym=BU people_2_person_name=Dr John Majoris people_2_person_nid=728439 people_2_role=Contact people_2_role_type=related people_3_affiliation=Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution people_3_affiliation_acronym=WHOI BCO-DMO people_3_person_name=Hannah Ake people_3_person_nid=650173 people_3_role=BCO-DMO Data Manager people_3_role_type=related project=Elacatinus Dispersal II projects_0_acronym=Elacatinus Dispersal II projects_0_description=Description from NSF award abstract: Understanding how far young fish move away from their parents is a major goal of marine ecology because this dispersal can make connections between distinct populations and thus influence population size and dynamics. Understanding the drivers of population dynamics is, in turn, essential for effective fisheries management. Marine ecologists have used two different approaches to understand how fish populations are connected: genetic methods that measure connectivity and oceanographic models that predict connectivity. There is, however, a mismatch between the predictions of oceanographic models and the observations of genetic methods. It is thought that this mismatch is caused by the behavior of the young, or larval, fish. The objective of this research is to study the orientation capabilities of larval fish in the wild throughout development and under a variety of environmental conditions to see if the gap between observations and predictions of population connectivity can be resolved. The project will have broader impacts in three key areas: integration of research and teaching by training young scientists at multiple levels; broadening participation of undergraduates from underrepresented groups; and wide dissemination of results through development of a website with information and resources in English and Spanish. The overall objective of the research is to investigate the role of larval orientation behavior throughout ontogeny in determining population connectivity. This will be done using the neon goby, Elacatinus lori, as a model system in Belize. The choice of study system is motivated by the fact that direct genetic methods have already been used to describe the complete dispersal kernel for this species, and these observations indicate that dispersal is less extensive than predicted by a high-resolution biophysical model; E. lori can be reared in the lab from hatching to settlement providing a reliable source of larvae of all ages for proposed experiments; and a new, proven behavioral observation platform, the Drifting In Situ Chamber (DISC), allows measurements of larval orientation behavior in open water. The project has three specific objectives: to understand ontogenetic changes in larval orientation capabilities by correlating larval orientation behavior with developmental sensory anatomy; to analyze variation in the precision of larval orientation in different environmental contexts through ontogeny; and to test alternative hypotheses for the goal of larval orientation behavior, i.e., to determine where larvae are heading as they develop. projects_0_end_date=2018-04 projects_0_geolocation=Belizean Barrier Reef System projects_0_name=Collaborative Research: The Role of Larval Orientation Behavior in Determining Population Connectivity projects_0_project_nid=651265 projects_0_start_date=2015-05 sourceUrl=(local files) standard_name_vocabulary=CF Standard Name Table v55 version=1 xml_source=osprey2erddap.update_xml() v1.3

Distribution of new E. lori settlers arriving on sponge habitat in South Water Caye, Belize in 2015. access_formats=.htmlTable,.csv,.json,.mat,.nc,.tsv acquisition_description=To observe the distribution of new settlers arriving from the water column, the 120 tagged sponges were cleared of settlers and then surveyed for new settlers every 24 \u2013 48 hrs throughout two lunar cycles (28 May \u2013 25 July 2015). We constructed a generalized linear mixed-effects model (GLMM; distribution = binomial; link = logit) using the \u2018lme4\u2019 package in R (Bates et al. 2015) to evaluate how habitat and social variables influence the distribution of new settlers on sponge habitat. The arrival of multiple new settlers on an individual sponge was rare. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between the presence or absence of an E. lori settler (0 or 1, respectively) and all habitat and social variables. Sponge ID was included as a random effect to control for repeated observations of the same 120 tagged sponges. awards_0_award_nid=651264 awards_0_award_number=OCE-1459546 awards_0_data_url=http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=1459546 awards_0_funder_name=NSF Division of Ocean Sciences awards_0_funding_acronym=NSF OCE awards_0_funding_source_nid=355 awards_0_program_manager=Michael E. Sieracki awards_0_program_manager_nid=50446 cdm_data_type=Other comment=New Settler Distribution P. Buston and J. Majoris, PIs Version 28 Feb 2018 Conventions=COARDS, CF-1.6, ACDD-1.3 data_source=extract_data_as_tsv version 2.3 19 Dec 2019 defaultDataQuery=&time<now doi=10.1575/1912/bco-dmo.728435.1 infoUrl=https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/728435 institution=BCO-DMO metadata_source=https://www.bco-dmo.org/api/dataset/728435 param_mapping={'728435': {'Sp_depth': 'master - depth'}} parameter_source=https://www.bco-dmo.org/mapserver/dataset/728435/parameters people_0_affiliation=Boston University people_0_affiliation_acronym=BU people_0_person_name=Dr Peter Buston people_0_person_nid=544437 people_0_role=Principal Investigator people_0_role_type=originator people_1_affiliation=Boston University people_1_affiliation_acronym=BU people_1_person_name=Dr John Majoris people_1_person_nid=728439 people_1_role=Co-Principal Investigator people_1_role_type=originator people_2_affiliation=Boston University people_2_affiliation_acronym=BU people_2_person_name=Dr John Majoris people_2_person_nid=728439 people_2_role=Contact people_2_role_type=related people_3_affiliation=Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution people_3_affiliation_acronym=WHOI BCO-DMO people_3_person_name=Hannah Ake people_3_person_nid=650173 people_3_role=BCO-DMO Data Manager people_3_role_type=related project=Elacatinus Dispersal II projects_0_acronym=Elacatinus Dispersal II projects_0_description=Description from NSF award abstract: Understanding how far young fish move away from their parents is a major goal of marine ecology because this dispersal can make connections between distinct populations and thus influence population size and dynamics. Understanding the drivers of population dynamics is, in turn, essential for effective fisheries management. Marine ecologists have used two different approaches to understand how fish populations are connected: genetic methods that measure connectivity and oceanographic models that predict connectivity. There is, however, a mismatch between the predictions of oceanographic models and the observations of genetic methods. It is thought that this mismatch is caused by the behavior of the young, or larval, fish. The objective of this research is to study the orientation capabilities of larval fish in the wild throughout development and under a variety of environmental conditions to see if the gap between observations and predictions of population connectivity can be resolved. The project will have broader impacts in three key areas: integration of research and teaching by training young scientists at multiple levels; broadening participation of undergraduates from underrepresented groups; and wide dissemination of results through development of a website with information and resources in English and Spanish. The overall objective of the research is to investigate the role of larval orientation behavior throughout ontogeny in determining population connectivity. This will be done using the neon goby, Elacatinus lori, as a model system in Belize. The choice of study system is motivated by the fact that direct genetic methods have already been used to describe the complete dispersal kernel for this species, and these observations indicate that dispersal is less extensive than predicted by a high-resolution biophysical model; E. lori can be reared in the lab from hatching to settlement providing a reliable source of larvae of all ages for proposed experiments; and a new, proven behavioral observation platform, the Drifting In Situ Chamber (DISC), allows measurements of larval orientation behavior in open water. The project has three specific objectives: to understand ontogenetic changes in larval orientation capabilities by correlating larval orientation behavior with developmental sensory anatomy; to analyze variation in the precision of larval orientation in different environmental contexts through ontogeny; and to test alternative hypotheses for the goal of larval orientation behavior, i.e., to determine where larvae are heading as they develop. projects_0_end_date=2018-04 projects_0_geolocation=Belizean Barrier Reef System projects_0_name=Collaborative Research: The Role of Larval Orientation Behavior in Determining Population Connectivity projects_0_project_nid=651265 projects_0_start_date=2015-05 sourceUrl=(local files) standard_name_vocabulary=CF Standard Name Table v55 version=1 xml_source=osprey2erddap.update_xml() v1.3

Physiochemical data from samples collected along the coast of Louisiana, USA during 2018. access_formats=.htmlTable,.csv,.json,.mat,.nc,.tsv,.esriCsv,.geoJson,.odvTxt acquisition_description=Samples were collected manually by filling an acid-washed and autoclaved 20L carboy after three rinses. Temperature, pH, and salinity were taken using a handheld YSI. Cell counts were obtained by filtering water through a 2.7 \u00b5m Whatman GF/D filter, fixing with 10% formaldehyde, placing on ice, and then counting using flow cytometry (Thrash et al., 2015, Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols). Inorganic nutrients were measured at the University of Washington Marine Chemistry Laboratory after sequential filtration through 2.7 Whatman GF/D and 0.22 \u00b5m Sterivex filters. Samples were initially placed on ice in the field, and then refrigerated until shipment with ice packs. awards_0_award_nid=707004 awards_0_award_number=OCE-1747681 awards_0_data_url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1747681 awards_0_funder_name=NSF Division of Ocean Sciences awards_0_funding_acronym=NSF OCE awards_0_funding_source_nid=355 awards_0_program_manager=Michael E. Sieracki awards_0_program_manager_nid=50446 awards_1_award_nid=707005 awards_1_award_number=OCE-1747722 awards_1_data_url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1747722 awards_1_funder_name=NSF Division of Ocean Sciences awards_1_funding_acronym=NSF OCE awards_1_funding_source_nid=355 awards_1_program_manager=Michael E. Sieracki awards_1_program_manager_nid=50446 awards_2_award_nid=787323 awards_2_award_number=OCE-1931113 awards_2_data_url=http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=1931113 awards_2_funder_name=NSF Division of Ocean Sciences awards_2_funding_acronym=NSF OCE awards_2_funding_source_nid=355 awards_2_program_manager=Daniel Thornhill awards_2_program_manager_nid=722161 cdm_data_type=Other comment=Physiochemical data for coastal samples PI: J. Cameron Thrash (USC) Co-PI: Elizabeth B. Kujawinksi (WHOI) Version history: 2020-02-13 - version 2 (current) 2018-08-30 - version 1 Conventions=COARDS, CF-1.6, ACDD-1.3 data_source=extract_data_as_tsv version 2.3 19 Dec 2019 defaultDataQuery=&time<now doi=10.1575/1912/bco-dmo.745449.2 Easternmost_Easting=-89.676029 geospatial_lat_max=29.867989 geospatial_lat_min=29.243342 geospatial_lat_units=degrees_north geospatial_lon_max=-89.676029 geospatial_lon_min=-93.340714 geospatial_lon_units=degrees_east infoUrl=https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/745449 institution=BCO-DMO instruments_0_acronym=Flow Cytometer instruments_0_dataset_instrument_description=Used for sampling instruments_0_dataset_instrument_nid=745484 instruments_0_description=Flow cytometers (FC or FCM) are automated instruments that quantitate properties of single cells, one cell at a time. They can measure cell size, cell granularity, the amounts of cell components such as total DNA, newly synthesized DNA, gene expression as the amount messenger RNA for a particular gene, amounts of specific surface receptors, amounts of intracellular proteins, or transient signalling events in living cells. (from: http://www.bio.umass.edu/micro/immunology/facs542/facswhat.htm) instruments_0_instrument_external_identifier=https://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/L05/current/LAB37/ instruments_0_instrument_name=Flow Cytometer instruments_0_instrument_nid=660 instruments_0_supplied_name=Millipore Guava 5HT HPL benchtop flow cytometer instruments_1_dataset_instrument_description=Used for sampling instruments_1_dataset_instrument_nid=745485 instruments_1_description=A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they use to move the fluid: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps instruments_1_instrument_name=Pump instruments_1_instrument_nid=726 instruments_1_supplied_name=Masterflex I/P peristaltic pump instruments_2_dataset_instrument_description=YSI 556 MPS handheld meter, calibrated with salinity and pH standards immediately prior to use instruments_2_dataset_instrument_nid=745486 instruments_2_description=An analytical instrument that can measure multiple parameters, such as pH, EC, TDS, DO and temperature with one device and is portable or hand-held. instruments_2_instrument_name=Multi Parameter Portable Meter instruments_2_instrument_nid=489457 instruments_2_supplied_name=YSI 556 MPS handheld meter keywords_vocabulary=GCMD Science Keywords metadata_source=https://www.bco-dmo.org/api/dataset/745449 Northernmost_Northing=29.867989 param_mapping={'745449': {'Lat': 'flag - latitude', 'Lon': 'flag - longitude', 'ISO_DateTime_UTC': 'flag - time'}} parameter_source=https://www.bco-dmo.org/mapserver/dataset/745449/parameters people_0_affiliation=University of Southern California people_0_affiliation_acronym=USC people_0_person_name=J. Cameron Thrash people_0_person_nid=707009 people_0_role=Principal Investigator people_0_role_type=originator people_1_affiliation=Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution people_1_affiliation_acronym=WHOI people_1_person_name=Elizabeth Kujawinski people_1_person_nid=51089 people_1_role=Co-Principal Investigator people_1_role_type=originator people_2_affiliation=University of Southern California people_2_affiliation_acronym=USC people_2_person_name=J. Cameron Thrash people_2_person_nid=707009 people_2_role=Contact people_2_role_type=related people_3_affiliation=Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution people_3_affiliation_acronym=WHOI BCO-DMO people_3_person_name=Shannon Rauch people_3_person_nid=51498 people_3_role=BCO-DMO Data Manager people_3_role_type=related project=CoastalSAR11 projects_0_acronym=CoastalSAR11 projects_0_description=NSF award abstract: Adaptation to new environments is a fundamental challenge for organisms, including microbes, in expanding their habitat range. It is important to investigate the cellular mechanisms underlying salinity tolerance in coastal bacterioplankton and their different responses to salinity in nature because (i) it will provide fundamental understanding for how microorganisms evolve to inhabit environments with different salinities, and (ii) alterations in coastal salinity are connected to climate change, so the way these alterations affect abundant coastal microorganisms also alters the biogeochemical cycling of, e.g., carbon. The project will examine microbial adaptations to salinity and determine how changes in salinity affect microbial metabolism using two closely related groups of abundant coastal bacterioplankton as model taxa. In addition, the research will continue and expand microbiology Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (mCUREs) in high-throughput cultivation and microbial characterization at the Lousiana State University. Sections of freshman biology laboratories will learn how to isolate, characterize, and molecularly identify microorganisms from local aquatic systems. mCURE sections will lead to newly isolated strains, genome sequences, and physiological data, these results will be published with the contributing students as co-authors. The relative success of mCURE sections will be assessed compared to traditional freshman biology sections. mCURE sections will offer unique opportunities for LSU students by creating excitement about research through discovery of new organisms and generating knowledge of the coastal habitats that are essential to the livelihood of the Gulf Coast. The evolutionary transition between salt- and freshwater environments occurs rarely in microorganisms. In one of the most abundant aquatic groups, SAR11, the transition between salt- and freshwater environments has happened only once: all freshwater SAR11 belong to subclade IIIb/LD12, which has also been found to inhabit coastal environments where salinity varies widely. The first reported isolates of the SAR11 freshwater clade LD12 and a member of the sister clade IIIa from the same region are now available. These pure culture representatives provide a powerful model for experimentally investigating adaptations to new environments in microorganisms, specifically (i) the genomic pathway and regulatory distinctions that arise during the evolutionary transition from marine to freshwater environments, and (ii) the physiological mechanisms that underlie the ecological restrictions imposed on microorganisms by ionic strength in coastal and freshwater environments. Furthermore, because these organisms have distinct differences in metabolic potential, the isolates facilitate testing (iii) the effects of changing coastal salinity on microbial contributions to other biogeochemical cycles, such as that for carbon. The project will test the hypothesis that the relative ionic strength tolerances between the sister lineages (LD12, IIIa) result from fundamental differences in metabolic flexibility at a genomic and regulatory level. To do so it will assess transcriptional and metabolic responses to varied ionic strength for both taxa and measure the distribution and activity of both groups in nature to translate laboratory findings to the field. The research will provide new understanding of LD12 habitat range and insights into how the "freshwater" lineage evolved from a SAR11 common ancestor. The project will also more generally provide important information on microbial responses to salinity changes in coastal systems and the evolutionary paths separating freshwater and marine microorganisms. This award is co-funded by Biological Oceanography, Division of Ocean Sciences in the Directorate for Geosciences and by Systems and Synthetic Biology, Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences in the Directorate for Biological Sciences. projects_0_end_date=2020-12 projects_0_geolocation=Coastal Louisiana, northern Gulf of Mexico projects_0_name=Collaborative Research: EAGER: Salinity-based selection between sister clades of abundant coastal