We bring sediment cores from field locations back to climate controlled chambers in the laboratory facilities at the Doñana Biological Station. 

We put sediment cores in a closed loop system, and use gas analyzers to measure emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). 

While we don't keep aquatic birds in the lab, we can mimic predation pressure by manipulating invertebrate densities in different mesocosms. Then we can control the carbon inputs by adding labile carbon subsidies at rates that reflect real world conditions in oligotrophic to highly eutrophic systems. When we measure greenhouse gas outputs from these mesocosms we get estimates of the effects of top down and bottom up controls on sediment gas flux.