Candace Oviatt

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Candace Ann Oviatt [1] is an ecologist at the University of Rhode Island known for research into coastal marine ecosystems with a particular focus on Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.

Contents

Education and career

Oviatt obtained a B.S. in biology from Bates College in 1961. In 1967, she became the first woman [2] to get a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island. [3] Oviatt's Ph.D. dissertation examined how light impacted the movement of starfish [4] which was published in the journal Behavior in 1969. [5]

After graduate school, Oviatt took a research position at the Harvard School of Public Health. [6] Following that period, she was a research associate at the University of Rhode Island [7] where she ultimately became a professor[ citation needed ] and the director of the University of Rhode Island's Marine Ecosystems Research Lab. [8] In 1969, Oviatt began a long-standing research partnership with Scott W. Nixon which began when they simultaneously established labs in the Fish Building on the Graduate School of Oceanography campus. [7] In 2016, the University of Rhode Island honored Oviatt by inducting her into its Lifetime Service Society. [6]

Oviatt served as president of Estuarine Research Foundation, now the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, from 1995 to 1997. [9] [10] As of 2020, Oviatt is on the Rhode Island Natural History Survey's board of advisors. [11]

Research

While at Harvard, Oviatt examined the potential impact of disposing burned municipal waste at sea by focusing on its impact on clams, fish, and flounder eggs. [12]

Once she returned to Rhode Island, she worked with Scott Nixon on a large scale assessment of the productivity of a New England salt marsh in a paper which combined measured data and modeled impacts of changes in temperature and sewage additions. [13] Following this work, Oviatt began a series of research projects within Narragansett Bay including investigations into sediment loading [14] and historical fish and shellfish information. [15] By comparing historical data and new research, Oviatt's research has shown that nutrient levels have decreased within Narragansett Bay with a concurrent increase in the clarity of the water. [16]

A turning point in public interest in Narragansett Bay came in 2003 when a large number of fish died due to hypoxia, [17] an event that encouraged the public to take an interest in the region's water quality. [18] Following the fish kill event, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management set a goal to reduce nitrogen inputs into Narragansett Bay by 50% when comparing levels from 1995-1996 to 2013-2014, [18] a goal that was met by 2015. [19] Oviatt's research has tracked long term changes in the water quality of the Bay after the establishment of new regulations regarding discharge from sewage plant. [20] During a 2017 symposium in which the question became whether the nutrient levels were too low, Oviatt noted that Narragansett Bay is always changing but "it's not a dead bay" because there are increases in some fish species concurrent with the decreases in crustaceans. [21]

Oviatt also played a critical role in establishing the Marine Ecosystem Research Lab (MERL) at the University of Rhode Island in 1976 with Scott Nixon and Michael Pilson. [7] [22] This laboratory enabled them to conduct large scale experiments with enclosed tanks (mesocosms), thereby reproducing conditions within Narragansett Bay in a controlled manner. Using the MERL tanks, Oviatt examined the impact of adding high concentrations of nutrients to a closed system [23] and the reverse situation with nutrients present in limiting quantities. [24] Other experiments included quantifying the bounds of primary production in Narragansett Bay [25] and the fate of sewage added to the coastal environment. [26]

More recently, Oviatt has used historical data to project what may happen to biological communities under future climate scenarios [27] [28] and how hurricanes alter the flux of nutrients into a region and thereby cause increased amounts of the seaweed Sargassum in the Virgin Islands. [29]

In 2015, Oviatt received the B.H. Ketchum Award from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and was recognized for: [30]

... her excellence in coastal marine ecology, especially her work on Narragansett Bay as a model system for the study of human impacts on temperate estuaries. In an era where eutrophication has become one of the most pressing environmental issues our society faces, her early work was ahead of its time

— Matt Charette, director of the Coastal Ocean Institute at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast</span> Area where land meets the sea or ocean

The coast, also known as the coastline, shoreline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. Shores are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape, as well as by water induced erosion, such as waves. The geological composition of rock and soil dictates the type of shore which is created. The Earth has around 620,000 kilometres (390,000 mi) of coastline. Coasts are important zones in natural ecosystems, often home to a wide range of biodiversity. On land, they harbor important ecosystems such as freshwater or estuarine wetlands, which are important for bird populations and other terrestrial animals. In wave-protected areas they harbor saltmarshes, mangroves or seagrasses, all of which can provide nursery habitat for finfish, shellfish, and other aquatic species. Rocky shores are usually found along exposed coasts and provide habitat for a wide range of sessile animals and various kinds of seaweeds. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past and present, while the beach is at the edge of the shore, representing the intertidal zone where there is one. Along tropical coasts with clear, nutrient-poor water, coral reefs can often be found between depths of 1–50 meters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eutrophication</span> Excessive plant growth in response to excess nutrient availability

Eutrophication is the process by which an entire body of water, or parts of it, becomes progressively enriched with minerals and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. It has also been defined as "nutrient-induced increase in phytoplankton productivity". Water bodies with very low nutrient levels are termed oligotrophic and those with moderate nutrient levels are termed mesotrophic. Advanced eutrophication may also be referred to as dystrophic and hypertrophic conditions. Eutrophication can affect freshwater or salt water systems. In freshwater ecosystems it is almost always caused by excess phosphorus. In coastal waters on the other hand, the main contributing nutrient is more likely to be nitrogen, or nitrogen and phosphorus together. This depends on the location and other factors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Estuary</span> Partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water

An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environments and are an example of an ecotone. Estuaries are subject both to marine influences such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water, and to fluvial influences such as flows of freshwater and sediment. The mixing of seawater and freshwater provides high levels of nutrients both in the water column and in sediment, making estuaries among the most productive natural habitats in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narragansett Bay</span> Bay in the state of Rhode Island

Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering 147 square miles (380 km2), 120.5 square miles (312 km2) of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. Small parts of the bay extend into Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring bloom</span> Strong increase in phytoplankton abundance that typically occurs in the early spring

The spring bloom is a strong increase in phytoplankton abundance that typically occurs in the early spring and lasts until late spring or early summer. This seasonal event is characteristic of temperate North Atlantic, sub-polar, and coastal waters. Phytoplankton blooms occur when growth exceeds losses, however there is no universally accepted definition of the magnitude of change or the threshold of abundance that constitutes a bloom. The magnitude, spatial extent and duration of a bloom depends on a variety of abiotic and biotic factors. Abiotic factors include light availability, nutrients, temperature, and physical processes that influence light availability, and biotic factors include grazing, viral lysis, and phytoplankton physiology. The factors that lead to bloom initiation are still actively debated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yaquina Bay</span> Small bay partially within Newport, Oregon, United States

Yaquina Bay is a coastal estuarine community found in Newport, Oregon. Yaquina Bay is a semi-enclosed body of water, approximately 8 km² (3.2 mi²) in area, with free connection to the Pacific Ocean, but also diluted with freshwater from the Yaquina River land drainage. The Bay is traversed by the Yaquina Bay Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation</span> U.S. nonprofit organization

The Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) is a private, nonprofit organization created in 1971. At that time, the members of two regionally based organizations, the Atlantic Estuarine Research Society (AERS) and the New England Estuarine Research Society (NEERS) recognized the need for a third estuarine organization that would address national estuarine and coastal issues. Today, CERF is a multidisciplinary federation of members and seven regionally-based Affiliate Societies dedicated to the understanding and wise stewardship of estuaries and coasts worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brackish marsh</span> Marsh with brackish level of salinity

Brackish marshes develop from salt marshes where a significant freshwater influx dilutes the seawater to brackish levels of salinity. This commonly happens upstream from salt marshes by estuaries of coastal rivers or near the mouths of coastal rivers with heavy freshwater discharges in the conditions of low tidal ranges.

Acartia hudsonica is a species of marine copepod belonging to the family Acartiidae. Acartia hudsonica is a coastal, cold water species that can be found along the northwest Atlantic coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecological values of mangroves</span>

Mangrove ecosystems represent natural capital capable of producing a wide range of goods and services for coastal environments and communities and society as a whole. Some of these outputs, such as timber, are freely exchanged in formal markets. Value is determined in these markets through exchange and quantified in terms of price. Mangroves are important for aquatic life and home for many species of fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine habitat</span> Habitat that supports marine life

A marine habitat is a habitat that supports marine life. Marine life depends in some way on the saltwater that is in the sea. A habitat is an ecological or environmental area inhabited by one or more living species. The marine environment supports many kinds of these habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesocosm</span>

A mesocosm is any outdoor experimental system that examines the natural environment under controlled conditions. In this way mesocosm studies provide a link between field surveys and highly controlled laboratory experiments.

<i>Ceriantheopsis americana</i> Species of sea anemone

Ceriantheopsis americana is a species of tube-dwelling anemone in the family Cerianthidae. It is a burrowing species and lives in deep sand or muddy sand in a long slender tube that it creates.

Nutrient cycling in the Columbia River Basin involves the transport of nutrients through the system, as well as transformations from among dissolved, solid, and gaseous phases, depending on the element. The elements that constitute important nutrient cycles include macronutrients such as nitrogen, silicate, phosphorus, and micronutrients, which are found in trace amounts, such as iron. Their cycling within a system is controlled by many biological, chemical, and physical processes.

Sybil P. Seitzinger is an oceanographer and climate scientist at the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions. She is known for her research into climate change and elemental cycling, especially nitrogen biogeochemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benthic-pelagic coupling</span> Processes that connect the benthic and pelagic zones of a body of water

Benthic-pelagic coupling are processes that connect the benthic zone and the pelagic zone through the exchange of energy, mass, or nutrients. These processes play a prominent role in both freshwater and marine ecosystems and are influenced by a number of chemical, biological, and physical forces that are crucial to functions from nutrient cycling to energy transfer in food webs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine coastal ecosystem</span> Wildland-ocean interface

A marine coastal ecosystem is a marine ecosystem which occurs where the land meets the ocean. Marine coastal ecosystems include many very different types of marine habitats, each with their own characteristics and species composition. They are characterized by high levels of biodiversity and productivity.

Patricia Marguerite Glibert is marine scientist known for her research on nutrient use by phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms in Chesapeake Bay. She is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wally Fulweiler</span> Marine biogeochemist

Robinson W. "Wally" Fulweiler is an American marine biogeochemist.

Scott W. Nixon was an ecosystem ecologist whose research primarily focused on nitrogen and eutrophication in coastal and estuarine ecosystems. He was the first to clearly define coastal eutrophication. Nixon was a faculty member of the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography from 1969 until his death. Throughout his life, he also served important roles in many organizations and committees, including as the director of Rhode Island Sea Grant, editor-in-chief of Estuaries, and a member of the National Research Council's Ocean Studies Board.

References

  1. ↑ American Men & Women of Science : A Biographical Directory of Today’s Leaders in Physical, Biological and Related Sciences: OGA-QYA, 2021, p.8554-8554
  2. ↑ "URI Graduate School of Oceanography celebrates 50th anniversary". today.uri.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  3. ↑ "Candace A. Oviatt". Graduate School of Oceanography. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  4. ↑ Oviatt, Candace (1967). Effects of artificial light on the movement of the common starfish Asterias forbesi (Desor) (PhD). University of Rhode Island.
  5. ↑ Oviatt, Candace A. (1969). "Light Influenced Movement of the Starfish Asteras Forbesi (Desor)". Behaviour. 33 (1–2): 52–57. doi:10.1163/156853969X00314. ISSN   0005-7959.
  6. 1 2 3 "URI Inducts 12 into Lifetime Service Society". today.uri.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  7. 1 2 3 Berounsky, Veronica M. (2018-09-25). "Bay Campus (B)log: Candace Oviatt, Ph.D. - She's Keeping an Eye on Narragansett Bay". Graduate School of Oceanography. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  8. ↑ "Marine Ecosystems Research Lab". Graduate School of Oceanography. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  9. ↑ "Front Matter". Estuaries. 19 (1). 1996. ISSN   0160-8347. JSTOR   1352645.
  10. ↑ "Front Matter". Estuaries. 20 (4). 1997. ISSN   0160-8347. JSTOR   1352241.
  11. ↑ "Board of Advisors | RINHS" . Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  12. ↑ Oviatt, Candace A. (July 22–24, 1968). The effects of incinerator residue on selected marine species. Annual North Eastern Regional Antipollution Conference. University of Rhode Island. pp. 108–110.
  13. ↑ Nixon, Scott W.; Oviatt, Candace A. (1973). "Ecology of a New England Salt Marsh". Ecological Monographs. 43 (4): 463–498. doi:10.2307/1942303. ISSN   0012-9615. JSTOR   1942303.
  14. ↑ Oviatt, Candace A.; Nixon, Scott W. (1975). "Sediment resuspension and deposition in Narragansett Bay". Estuarine and Coastal Marine Science. 3 (2): 201–217. Bibcode:1975ECMS....3..201O. doi:10.1016/0302-3524(75)90022-5.
  15. ↑ Oviatt, Candace; Olsen, Steven; Andrews, Mark; Collie, Jeremy; Lynch, Timothy; Raposa, Kenneth (2003-07-01). "A Century of Fishing and Fish Fluctuations in Narragansett Bay". Reviews in Fisheries Science. 11 (3): 221–242. doi:10.1080/10641260390244413. ISSN   1064-1262. S2CID   84432498.
  16. ↑ Winthrop, Christian (2016-06-22). "Narragansett Bay Is Cleaner Than It Has Been In 150 Years". Newport Buzz. Archived from the original on 2016-06-25. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  17. ↑ Codiga, Daniel L.; Stoffel, Heather E.; Deacutis, Christopher F.; Kiernan, Susan; Oviatt, Candace A. (2009-07-01). "Narragansett Bay Hypoxic Event Characteristics Based on Fixed-Site Monitoring Network Time Series: Intermittency, Geographic Distribution, Spatial Synchronicity, and Interannual Variability". Estuaries and Coasts. 32 (4): 621–641. doi:10.1007/s12237-009-9165-9. ISSN   1559-2731. S2CID   16359357.
  18. 1 2 "Hypoxia Response to Nutrient Management in Narragansett Bay". NCCOS Coastal Science Website. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  19. ↑ Kuffner, Alex (August 19, 2015). "Clearer and cleaner: Study finds Narragansett Bay's health improving". providencejournal.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-27. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  20. ↑ Staff, P. B. N. (2015-08-20). "Study finds Narragansett Bay water quality improving after sewage plant discharge reductions". Providence Business News. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  21. ↑ Writer, Laura Damon Staff. "Experts say there's no single solution for bay". The Independent. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  22. ↑ Francine Sakin Jacoff, ed. (September 1979). "Replicability of MERL microcosms: initial observations". Advances in marine environmental research : proceedings of a symposium (Report). Michael E.Q. Pilson, Candace A. Oviatt, Gabriel A. Vargo, and Sandra L. Vargo. pp. 359–381. doi: 10.5962/bhl.title.149966 . Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  23. ↑ Oviatt, Ca; Keller, Aa; Sampou, Pa; Beatty, Ll (1986). "Patterns of productivity during eutrophication: a mesocosm experiment" (PDF). Marine Ecology Progress Series. 28: 69–80. Bibcode:1986MEPS...28...69O. doi: 10.3354/meps028069 . ISSN   0171-8630.
  24. ↑ Oviatt, C; Doering, P; Nowicki, B; Reed, L; Cole, J; Frithsen, J (1995). "An ecosystem level experiment on nutrient limitation in temperate coastal marine environments" (PDF). Marine Ecology Progress Series. 116: 171–179. Bibcode:1995MEPS..116..171O. doi: 10.3354/meps116171 . ISSN   0171-8630.
  25. ↑ Oviatt, C.; Keller, A.; Reed, L. (2002). "Annual Primary Production in Narragansett Bay with no Bay-Wide Winter–Spring Phytoplankton Bloom". Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 54 (6): 1013–1026. Bibcode:2002ECSS...54.1013O. doi:10.1006/ecss.2001.0872.
  26. ↑ Oviatt, Candace A.; Quinn, James G.; Maughan, James T.; Ellis, J. Taylor; Sullivan, Barbara K.; Gearing, Juanita N.; Gearing, Patrick J.; Hunt, Carlton D.; Sampou, Peter A.; Latimer, James S. (1987). "Fate and effects of sewage sludge in the coastal marine environment: a mesocosm experiment". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 41 (2): 187–203. Bibcode:1987MEPS...41..187O. doi: 10.3354/meps041187 . ISSN   0171-8630. JSTOR   24827450.
  27. ↑ Oviatt, Candace A. (2004). "The changing ecology of temperate coastal waters during a warming trend". Estuaries. 27 (6): 895–904. doi:10.1007/BF02803416. ISSN   0160-8347. S2CID   55191686.
  28. ↑ Smith, Leslie M.; Whitehouse, Sandra; Oviatt, Candace A. (2010). "Impacts of Climate Change on Narragansett Bay". Northeastern Naturalist. 17 (1): 77–90. doi:10.1656/045.017.0106. ISSN   1092-6194. S2CID   54864918.
  29. ↑ "Spread of Sargassum Seaweed May be 'New Normal'". St. Thomas Source. 2019-07-18. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  30. 1 2 "Dr. Candace Oviatt - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  31. ↑ "Dr. Candace Oviatt, 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner". Save The Bay. 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  32. ↑ Sherman, Eli (2015-05-30). "Save The Bay announces award winners". Providence Business News. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
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