Nitrification and denitrification potential of marsh soils, Terrebonne Bay (LA), 2013-2014

We measured nitrification potential and denitrification potential in four marshes in Terrebonne Bay every 2 to 3 months beginning in March 2013 and continuing through April 2014. Two of the sites were oiled following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the remaining two sites were unoiled. At each site we sampled along a 20-m transect from the marsh edge collecting soil cores at 5-m intervals (5, 10, 15, and 20 m). In addition to nitrification and denitrification, we measured the abundances of ammonia-oxidizing archaea, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, denitrification bacteria, and a variety of soil properties.