10/02/2026
🔬 Meet Jeneil Patel!
We’re highlighting the important research being done at Grand Bay NERR by Jeneil Patel, SWMP Technician at Grand Bay NERR and a graduate student at Mississippi State University. 🌿
Jeneil is studying how phosphorus moves through and settles in Bangs Lake, a shallow lake within the reserve. His research is helping us better understand where phosphorus accumulates in the lake and how the sediment may retain this nutrient over time, including how the lake may still be responding to past wastewater overflows.
To investigate this, Jeneil collects sediment cores from Bangs Lake and brings them back to the lab. The sediment samples go through a series of chemical extractions that separate different forms of phosphorus, including phosphorus loosely attached to sediment and phosphorus bound to minerals such as iron and calcium.
After the extractions are filtered and frozen, they are analyzed with a spectrophotometer to determine phosphorus concentrations in different sediment layers and estimate how much phosphorus is stored throughout the lake. By combining those measurements with the weight and depth of each sediment layer, Jeneil can estimate how much phosphorus is stored throughout the lake.
🧪🌊 This research provides valuable insight into nutrient cycling, sediment processes, and the lasting effects of past human impacts on our coastal ecosystems.
We’re proud to recognize Jeneil for his work and the important role his research plays in helping us better understand and protect Bangs Lake and the Grand Bay NERR ecosystem. 💙
