Dr. Dianne Greenfield* (QC-ASRC) and her research are featured prominently on the GC website right now: “A Novel ‘Human Experiment’; Professor Dianne Greenfield studies how the COVID-19 shutdown has affected the waters of the Long Island Sound.”

Their effort is part of a year-long study, funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grant of close to $200,000, of how stay-at-home orders and the unprecedented decline in commuting and travel in the New York City metropolitan area affected the waters of Long Island Sound. Specifically, the researchers are looking at how the drop in travel — by plane, car, train, and ship — affected by the deposition of atmospheric pollutants, particularly nitrogen, in the water. They hypothesize that these changes, along with shifts in patterns of nitrogen-rich wastewater effluents, alter the biogeochemistry and ecology of the city’s coastal waters.

Still, working during the pandemic has had its challenges, Greenfield says. “We’ve prioritized the health and safety of ourselves, family, and colleagues/students while trying to remain at least somewhat productive,” she says. “Even though select — and significantly scaled-down — socially distanced activities are gradually transitioning, such as this NSF-RAPID project, my lab is still largely working remotely to maintain a safe and healthy work environment.”

For more information visit the full piece on the GC page.