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Faculty & Staff

Areas of Expertise

Microbial Ecology & Diversity; Ecosystem Ecology, I am interested in all aspects of the interaction between humans and the environment. My work runs the gamut from modeling how changing land use on watersheds alters the geochemistry of receiving waters to understanding how climate change and ocean acidification will alter the structure and function of microbial communities. In particular I have been focusing on both how human activities are altering the structure and function of microbial communities and in turn how microbial communities can help ameliorate pollution from human sources.

Degrees

PhD, Boston University, 2005 (Biology)
BA, Colby College, 1994 (Biology)

Professional Publications & Contributions

• 1) Bowen, J. L., H. G. Morrison, J. E. Hobbie, and M. L. Sogin. 2012. Salt marsh sediment diversity: a test of the variability of the rare biosphere over small spatial scales. The ISME Journal. Advance online publication, 28 June 2012; doi:10.1038/ismej.2012.47
• 2) Bowen, J. L., B. B. Ward, H. G. Morrison, J. E. Hobbie, I. Valiela, L. A. Deegan and M. L. Sogin. 2011. Microbial community composition in salt marsh sediments resists perturbation by nutrient enrichment. ISME Journal. doi:10.1038/ismej.2011.22 *This article was featured in the Research Highlights section of Nature Reviews Microbiology
• 3) Bowen, J. L., B. C. Crump, L. A. Deegan, and J. E. Hobbie. 2009. Response of salt marsh sediment bacteria to external nitrogen inputs as measured by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The ISME Journal 3: 924-934.
• 4) Bowen, J. L., B. C. Crump, L. A. Deegan, and J. E. Hobbie. 2009. Increased supply of ambient nitrogen has minimal effect on salt marsh bacterial production. Limnology and Oceanography 54: 713-722.
• 5) Bowen, J. L., and I. Valiela. 2008. Using 15N to assess coupling between land use and estuaries in temperate and tropical systems. Journal of Coastal Research 24: 804-813. *This article was featured in the Research Highlights section of Nature Reviews Microbiology
• 6) Bowen, J. L., J. M. Ramstack, S. Mazzilli, and I. Valiela. 2007. NLOAD: An interactive, web-based modeling tool to estimate nitrogen loads and concentrations, and explore options for nitrogen management in estuaries. Ecological Applications 17: S17-S30.
• 7) Bowen, J. L., K. D. Kroeger, G. Tomasky, W. J. Pabich, M. L. Cole, R. H. Carmichael, and I. Valiela. A review of land-estuary coupling by ground water discharge: Mechanisms and effects. Applied Geochemistry 22: 175-191.
• 8) Deegan, L. A., J. L. Bowen, D. Drake, J. W. Fleeger, C. T. Friedrichs, K. A. Galvan, J. E. Hobbie, C. Hopkinson, J. M Johnson, D. S. Johnson, D. E. Lemay, E. Miller, B. J. Peterson, C. Picard, S. Sheldon, J. Vallino, and R. S. Warren. 2007. Susceptibility of salt marshes to nutrient enrichment and predator removal. Ecological Applications 17: S42-S63.
• 9) Bowen, J. L., and I. Valiela. Nitrogen loads to estuaries: Using loading models to assess the effectiveness of management options to restore estuarine water quality. Estuaries 27: 482-500.
• 10) Bowen, J. L., and I. Valiela. 2001. The ecological effects of urbanization of coastal watersheds: Historical increases in nitrogen loads and eutrophication of Waquoit Bay estuaries. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 58: 1489-1500.
• 11) Bowen, J. L., and I. Valiela. 2001. Historical changes in atmospheric nitrogen deposition to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. Atmospheric Environment 35: 1039-1051.

Additional Information

Current Funding

1) Microbial community composition of permeable reactive barriers: who is really doing the work? (MIT Sea Grant, Awarded, beginning: Feb 2012)
2) Microbial ecology of gaseous nitrogen losses from salt marsh soils (NSF DEB-1019624)
3) Fertilization of salt marsh ecosystems: using molecular techniques to evaluate the effects of nitrogen enrichment on sediment microbial communities (NSF DEB-0717155)