LeBlanc
Studies Lake Nutrient Load
May
30, 2007
Maverick LeBlanc, a 2005 graduate of Catholic
High School, is conducting scientific research as part of the
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, established by
Louisiana Sea Grant.
Leblanc’s research project is titled
“Nutrient Release from Lake Sediment.” Under the
mentorship of Dr. John White, Department of Oceanography and
Coastal Sciences at Louisiana State University, Leblanc is working
on a project that will help planners restore Campus Lake in
Baton Rouge. He is studying the nitrogen and phosphorus concentration
in lake sediments. High nutrient levels in the sediment can
lead to poor water quality.The study will
allow restoration planners to determine if sediment removal
is necessary to improve lake water quality.
He is the Son of Rhonda LeBlanc of Denham Springs
and Claiborne LeBlanc of Donaldsonville, and the grandson of
Leonard and Jackie Varnado of Denham Springs.
UROP provides talented undergraduate students
interested in advanced studies in marine-related disciplines
with hands-on research experience. The program is designed to
increase the student’s competitiveness as a graduate student,
help them make career-related decisions, and establish working
relationships with university faculty.
Since its establishment in 1968, Louisiana
Sea Grant has worked to promote stewardship of the state’s
coastal resources through a combination of research, education
and outreach programs critical to the cultural, economic and
environmental health of Louisiana’s coastal zone. Louisiana
Sea Grant, based at LSU, is part of the National Sea Grant Program,
a network of 32 university-based programs in each of the U.S.
coastal and Great Lakes states and Puerto Rico.
