Biogeochemical and food web studies in lakes large and small (2019-10-11)

Abstract

My lab studies the ecology and biogeochemistry of lake ecosystems. In this talk I will highlight three research projects that my students, collaborators and I have been pursuing over the past five years. First, I will discuss our work on the way invasive zebra and quagga (dreissenid) mussels affect thebiogeochemistry of invaded lakes and how the impacts of dreissenids change with environmental setting. I will also describe our work on uncovering the seldom-studied ecological processes that occur during the winter in small and large ice-covered lakes. The third project I will present examines environmental controls on growth of benthic algae in large lake ecosystems, including the Laurentian Great Lakes and Russia’s Lake Baikal. I will finish by discussing my plans for future research.