As an aquatic ecologist and oceanographer, my research and teaching focus on how aquatic microorganisms and their predators interact with each other and their physical/chemical environment. I emphasize a holistic perspective encompassing the range of planktonic organisms found in coastal marine systems, estuaries, rivers and lakes, including: planktonic algae, protist microzooplankton, invertebrate zooplankton, and bacteria.
My research approach links hypothesis-driven, controlled laboratory experiments with small-scale field manipulations and field observations. Such research is inherently interdisciplinary, connecting cell biology and physiology with ecology, and physics and chemistry of the environment. My work finds application in addressing basic and applied questions related to aquatic geochemical fluxes, harmful algal blooms, pollution and water quality, and sea ice ecology
