Overview

"Deltas and the Coast: A Biogeochemical Nexus with Global Consequences"

This symposium is designed to bring together those actively engaged in applying principles of biogeochemistry to solving environmental and social problems from a wide range of systems. Wetland biogeochemistry involves cycling or exchange of materials between living and non-living components of an ecosystem. Biogeochemistry is an interdisciplinary science which includes the interaction of biological, geological and chemical processes regulating the fate and transport of nutrients and contaminants in soil, water and atmospheric components of an ecosystem. This international symposium provides a framework for scientists to share technical information on various topics related to coupled biogeochemical cycling of macro-elements and associated organic and inorganic contaminants. The goal is to improve our understanding of the role wetlands and aquatic systems perform in regulating and mitigating impacts of global climate change and sea level rise.

Symposium Theme

This year’s theme seeks to acknowledge the critical coastal zone where freshwaters from rivers and lakes discharge into estuaries and coastal ocean waters, and where changes in runoff timing and discharge volume can cause dramatic shifts in major drivers of biogeochemical cycling including temperature, salinity, nutrients, sediment, and contaminant loading.

Baton Rouge, located alongside the Mississippi River, is the backdrop for this year’s exciting conference. The state of Louisiana’s coastal Master Plan, an adaptive management tool updated every five years, uses the best available science and engineering to safeguard coastal populations, maintain coastal ecosystems and protect economic and cultural resources. With plans to spend 50 billion US dollars over 50 years, this coastal region is the epicenter for innovative nature-based and engineered projects to extend our presence in the delta and along the coast despite some of the highest relative sea level rise rates in the world.