home research life pursuits travel log u.w. biology
An interest in the impacts of urban development first lured me to return to graduate school. I am particularly interested in examining human influences on intertidal communities. As a Biology Ph.D. student at the University of Washington I have lots of freedom to explore my scientific interests.
I am broadly interested in community ecology. Here are some questions that interest me:
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How have changes in phytoplankton assemblages affected the biology of the urban estuary? |
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What are the effects of introduced species on community structure? |
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How do oysters impact water quality? |
| What are the ecosystem level impacts of large scale aquaculture in an estuary? |
| Does harvest impact the population dynamics of Machrobrachium americanum? |
Accordingly, I work with the Ruesink Lab in projects around Puget Sound and Willapa Bay. We study the interactions between phytoplankton and eelgrass and oyster aquaculture. My funding comes from a WRAC grant that Dr. Ruesink wrote and an NSF- IGERT grant for international interdiscplinary research and education. As part of my IGERT I study amphidromus shrimps of the genus Machrobrachium in Costa Rica. To learn more about my research check out the links below.
Willapa Bay Hood Canal Costa Rica