New England Aquarium Lecture: Invasive Species and Carbon Cycling in Coastal Dunes of Cape Cod

The MIT Sea Grant College Program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have been working with the National Park Service to study carbon cycling in coastal dune habitats, as well as the effects of historic peat deposits on the establishment and persistence of invasive plants (Phragmites australis). With the increased risk of erosion from coastal storms exposing the once-buried peat deposits, and the challenge of controlling an aggressive invasive species, this dynamic system faces an uncertain future. The research findings from this study will inform future conservation efforts in the region as well as provide a deeper understanding of carbon cycling in coastal dunes.