My Research
My research examines how aquatic ecosystems, ranging from freshwater to marine, respond to environmental change.
I combine in situ instrumentation, experimental manipulation, and frequentist and Bayesian modeling approaches to monitor spatial and temporal change in aquatic environments. As a biogeochemist, my role is to investigate what is happening on a molecular level and translate the potential impacts at the ecosystem scale.
I combine in situ instrumentation, experimental manipulation, and frequentist and Bayesian modeling approaches to monitor spatial and temporal change in aquatic environments. As a biogeochemist, my role is to investigate what is happening on a molecular level and translate the potential impacts at the ecosystem scale.
ONGOING Work
Modeling River Resilience
In collaboration with researchers at the Universities of Wyoming and Montana, as well as the USGS, I am modeling stream productivity (i.e., algal biomass) in 150+ sites across the United States and examining macroscale controls on the recovery of river productivity following high-flow disturbance events.
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Fire Impacts on Aridland Streams
As a member of an NCEAS working group, I am modeling the lagged effects of wildfire, precipitation, and their interaction on stream biogeochemistry in aridland ecosystems. The group is also developing a conceptual framework to guide research in aridland watersheds encountering greater fire frequency and intensity.
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Predicting NEarshore Greening
Following increased reports of algal growth along the shores of Lake Tahoe in late winter/early spring, I am modeling metabolism in the nearshore and incorporating water chemistry measurements to develop better predictions of nearshore algal growth in response to nitrogen availability.
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Completed PROJECTS
Terrestrial Organic Matter Exports
As part an NSF RAPID project, I investigated the sources and transport of terrestrial organic matter along a mountains-to-ocean transect following periods of drought and winter storm events. Read more about our findings here.
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Consumer-Derived Nutrients
I measured the excretion rates of beach consumers, i.e., talitrids (pictured above, credit: N. Schooler), and the impacts of this nutrient subsidy on the surrounding marine and terrestrial communities. Read more about our findings here.
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MacroAlgal Nutritional Content
In collaboration with the Santa Barbara Coastal LTER, I examined decadal changes in giant kelp tissue nutritional content in relationship to changing seawater temperatures and oceanographic indices. Read more about our findings here.
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Responses to Extreme WEather |
SEDIMENTS AS A SOURCE OF NUTRIENTS |
Additional ProJects |
Following the Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flow, I examined the transport and relative degradation of terrestrial debris deposited on a local beach during emergency response efforts. Read more about our findings here.
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I used nearshore marine sediments to investigate their potential to contribute nitrogen (N) to the overlying water column. We focused primarily on their contribution during stratified conditions, when N is in high demand by nearby giant kelp forests.
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Check back for additional project information to be posted soon!
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