Research
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”—Jane Goodall
My research broadly focuses on freshwater ecology and anthropogenic stressors. Specifically, I am interested in the interactions of multiple stressors, stress responses, evolved tolerance, and conservation. Below are a few of my current projects.
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs)
CyanoHABs rapidly change aquatic ecosystems and threaten the sustainability of freshwater worldwide. While providing little nutritional value to aquatic herbivores, CyanoHABs can drastically alter abiotic conditions (e.g., declines in dissolved oxygen), and can produce toxins that reduce water quality, harm many species of aquatic animals, domesticated animals and wildlife, and pose a human health threat. We are looking at evolved tolerance in freshwater species to toxins produced by CyanoHABs
Road Salt and Pesticides
Novel stressors introduced by human activities increasingly threaten freshwater ecosystems. The annual application of more than 2.3 billion kg of pesticide active ingredient and 22 billion kg of road salt has led to the combined contamination of temperate waterways. We are looking at their possible interactive effects in freshwater communities.
Road Salt and Biotic Stressors
In an effort to gain a better understanding of the interaction between stressors, both natural and human induced, we are looking at the possible effects of road salt and biotic stressors in freshwater ecosystems. To do this, we use large scale mesocosms with periphyton, phytoplakton, zooplankton, wood frogs, and American toads which serve as proxies for natural conditions and allows for a broader understanding of the effects of stressors.
Amphibian Stress and Duress
We still have only a very limited understanding of amphibian's response to stress. Answering questions about this is essential for understanding the mechanistic role it plays on their current susceptibility to extinction in a quickly changing environment. Here we looked at the effect of stress on tail regeneration and exploratory behavior.
Contact me for more information about what’s going on in the lab!