Project properties
Title Exploring the Fate of Elevated Ammonia in Seawater: Microbial Dynamics Across Concentration Gradients
Group Marine Animal Ecology
Project type thesis
Credits 24-39
Supervisor(s) Michael Yeboah
Edwin Foekema
Examiner(s) Tinka Murk, Ronald Osinga, Reindert Nijland, Rosa van der Ven or Diede Maas
Contact info michael.yeboah@wur.nl
edwin.foekema@wur.nl
Begin date 2025/01/01
End date 2026/01/01
Description Ammonia is proposed as a potential replacement for heavy fuel oil (HFO) for powering ships. This is primarily due to its carbon-free nature, which would enable the maritime sector to reduce its carbon footprint. However, ammonia is toxic, and there are concerns about human and ecological safety due to the accidental release of ammonia within marine environments. Elevated ammonia levels in marine environments can significantly alter ecosystem dynamics. This project aims to investigate how ammonia concentration gradients affect microbial and phytoplankton communities in seawater, focusing on their structural diversity and functional roles in nitrogen cycling. The research will address how microbial populations mediate ammonia removal through processes such as nitrification and denitrification, under concurrent changes in seawater chemistry, including changes in pH, oxygen levels, and the production of nitrogenous byproducts like nitrite, nitrate, and nitrogen gas. In practise, it would include DNA analysis in filtered seawater samples from previous experiments.

Research Goals:
- Analyze microbial diversity and activity across ammonia concentration gradients.
- Investigate the role of specific microbes in nitrogen cycling and ammonia removal.

This study will contribute to understanding how marine microbial communities respond to elevated ammonia levels, offering insights into their resilience and potential applications in bioremediating ammonia spills at sea. The outcomes will be a vital contribution to the AmmoniaDrive Project.
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