Coastal wetlands and salt marshes are major ecosystems . They also absorb and store large amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), which, combined with CO2 absorbed in ocean ecosystems, is called “blue carbon." These ecosystems are especially important in this era of climate change, but there is still much to learn about the absorption systems. Dr. Fulweiler discusses how she and her colleagues are working to measure this process. The Fulweiler team is also developing a citizen-science participation project.
Robinson (Wally) Fulweiler's research is focused on answering fundamental questions about energy flow and biogeochemical cycling of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and silica), carbon, and oxygen in a variety of environments. She is especially interested in how anthropogenic changes affect the ecology and elemental cycling of ecosystems on a variety of scales. She maintains the Boston University Coastal Ecology & Biogeochemistry Lab and has a joint appointment with the Department of Biology.