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Although rare earth element (REE) concentrations and speciation are often investigated by chemical extractions of bulk soils and sediments to elucidate site specific environmental processes and anthropogenic influences, micro- and nanoscale investigations provide more precise insights into the REE–mineral associations essential for understanding REE mobility in complex natural landscapes. In this study, we combine the high-resolution microscopic techniques of scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) to characterize micro- and nanoscale REE–mineral associations in an eutrophic estuarine system, specifically at a site containing (1) a coastal acid sulfate soil (CASS) and (2) adjacent estuarine sediments that have received acute acidic drainage from the CASS site for ∼20 years. This …