UMass BioGeoChemistry Lab performs limnology fieldwork in Maine

The Biogeochemistry lab with an interval sediment trap at Basin Pond (Photo: Isla Castañeda)

In early October, the BGC lab, led by Dr. Isla Castañeda, went on a field excursion to central Maine.

The goal was to collect soil and sediment samples, and to retrieve an interval sediment trap deployed in Basin Pond. The purpose of the research is to determine if branched GDGTs, an important paleoclimate proxy in lake sediments, are produced in the watershed soils or in-situ in the lake. If they are produced by organisms in the lake, at what water depth and during what season? Our field team consisted of Dr. Castañeda, myself, research assistant Thivanka Ariyarathna, and graduate students Dan MIller, Helen Habicht, Benjamin Keisling, and Boyang Zhao. It was a tough/chilly field day, but in the end we successfully found and re-deployed the sediment trap, collected a lot of soils and sediments, and enjoyed the epically beautiful Fall colors in Maine. (Photo credits to Isla Castañeda unless noted)

: Fall foliage in Maine.

: Isla prepares the Ekman grab sampler at the shore of Perley Pond, ME. (Photo: Will Daniels)

: A view of Basin Pond.

: Thivanka’s first time in a canoe! 🙂 (Photo: Thivanka Ariyarathna)

: Searching for the submerged buoy and sediment trap.

: Searching for the sediment trap

: Dan bravely prepares to work on the sediment trap from the water.

: Boyang, Benjamin, and Helen grapple the sediment trap as they prepare to pull it from the lake.

: Dan helps prepare the sediment trap for extraction.

: Success – it wasn’t easy, but we got the sediment trap back to shore.

: The interval sediment trap gives a snapshot of how settling sediment particles change over the season in Basin Pond. These bottles each represent ~3 weeks of sedimentation. (Photo: Dan Miller)