We plan to collect shallow groundwater samples on several of the motus characterized by different land cover. The premise is that motus that have undergone rat eradication and repopulation of crab communities are characterized by different groundwater nutrient and redox chemistries than motus that have not undergone these changes. Because submarine groundwater discharge may transport these nutrients to the reef, there may be important feedbacks on reef ecosystem functioning. We will collect this data as proof of concept for a research grant proposal on biosphere - geosphere coupling.

Approved