Prolonged drought linked to instability in key nitrogen-cycling microbes in Connecticut salt marsh
Phys.org
March 4, 2026
A prolonged drought in southeastern Connecticut reduced the stability of microorganisms responsible for a critical step in the nitrogen cycle in a coastal salt marsh, according to research led by a Connecticut College scientist and published in Estuaries and Coasts. The study was led by Anne Bernhard, professor of biology at Connecticut College. Bernhard and her co-author analyzed microbial communities in a salt marsh at the Barn Island Wildlife Management Area in Stonington, Connecticut, from 2006 to 2019. The period included a severe regional drought from 2013 to 2018.
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Originally published on Phys.org on 3/4/2026