Examining Nitrate Concentrations in Rainwater in the Marine Boundary Layer in St. Petersburg

Authors

• Sam Irvine, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Anson Kirsch, University of South Florida
• Ben Lloyd, DePauw University
• Yasin Elshorbany, University of South Florida
• James Ivey, University of South Florida

Document Type

Poster Session

Publication Date

2023

Abstract

• Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are a natural phenomenon which occur in bodies of water.
• Karenia brevis, a common algae species, in excess results in red tide events which deplete nutrients in the area, killing aquatic life and releasing toxic gasses.
• Research points to how K. brevis multiplies through nutrient absorption in response to excess nitrate in the water (Paerl, 2003).
• Average nitrate concentrations in Florida rainfall are ~1 ppm; natural nitrate concentrations in the bay are10 ppm (Upchurch et al, 2007; Asher-Leonard, 2019; EPA, 2012).
• More NOx gasses released into the atmosphere decreases the rain pH, which supports algae growth (Bergstrom et al, 2007).

Scholar Commons Citation

Irvine, Sam; Kirsch, Anson; Lloyd, Ben; Elshorbany, Yasin; and Ivey, James, "Examining Nitrate Concentrations in Rainwater in the Marine Boundary Layer in St. Petersburg" (2023). Weather, Climate, and Society REU. 11.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/weather-climate-society_reu/11