Heili Lowman
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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.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Modeling River Resilience

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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) and how it responds to disturbance events. We are comparing model-estimated disturbance thresholds with those that are derived using  geomorphological methods.

Predicting NEarshore Greening

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Following increased reports of algal growth along the shores of Lake Tahoe in late winter/early spring, I am modeling metabolism at stream outlets and incorporating nearshore nitrogen cycling measurements. We aim to develop better predictions of nearshore algal growth in response to nitrogen availability.

Additional Projects   

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Check back for upcoming project information to be posted soon!

PAST PROJECTS

Terrestrial Organic Matter Exports

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I collaborated as part an NSF RAPID project to investigate 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.

Consumer-Derived Nutrients

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I participated in projects designed to measure the excretion rates of various consumers, including beach hoppers (pictured above), and the impacts of this nutrient subsidy on the surrounding marine and terrestrial communities. Read more about our findings here.

MacroAlgal Nutritional Content

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I collaborated with Santa Barbara Coastal LTER researchers to examine decadal changes in giant kelp tissue nutritional content in relationship to changing seawater temperatures and oceanographic indices. Read more about our findings here.

Responses to Extreme WEather

SEDIMENTS AS A SOURCE OF NUTRIENTS

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Following the Thomas Fire and the resulting Montecito debris flow, I traced the transport of terrestrial debris deposited on a local beach during emergency response efforts into nearshore sediment. Read more about our findings here.
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I used nearshore marine sediments collected in the Santa Barbara Channel to investigate their potential to contribute nutrients to the overlying water column. We focused primarily on their contribution during warm, stratified conditions, when nutrients are in high demand by nearby giant kelp forests.

MY AFFILIATIONS

Blaszczak Lab, University of Nevada Reno
Modelscape Consortium
Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research
Collaborative for Research in Aridland Stream Systems
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