Phytoplankon & Zooplankton Physiology & Biochemistry

My research can be divided into three distinct areas: 

1) Developing indices of growth and other biological rates
2) Characterizing cellular acclimation
3) Clarifying the size-dependence of cellular processes.

Limnology and Aquatic Ecology

My research involves basic studies of the food web of the Great Lakes. The focus of this research is on the primary and secondary producers in the lakes and the interaction of these organisms with their physical and chemical environment.

 Parasitology

My research interests are in the broad area of animal parasitology. Parasitism represents a mode of life which frequently involves multispecies assemblages and multiple stages of the same species within the life history, making them appropriate for ecological studies.

Behavioral Ecology

My research focuses on the behavior, evolution and conservation of birds. In particular, I am interested in the evolution and ecology of mating systems, life history strategies and the population genetics of threatened species. 

Ecology & Evolution of Fishes

Research in my laboratory explores the ecological and evolutionary processes involved in the adaptive differentiation of fish populations. I am particularly interested in how  behavioral and morphological phenotypes reflect the joint pressures of selection on trophic and sexual performance.
 

Molecular Plant Systematics

My research as a plant systematist focuses on the reconstruction of past evolutionary events and increasing our understanding of relationships among specific plant groups.

Plant Evolutionary Ecology

My research focuses on evolutionary processes occurring in flowering plant populations. I am particularly interested in understanding how plant mating systems evolve, and how insect pollinators influence pollen dispersal and patterns of paternity.  Recent experiments in my laboratory have demonstrated that mating patterns are influenced both by ecological factors, such as population density and the presence of competing species, and by genetically inherited factors, such as floral morphology and floral display size. 

Aquatic Invertebrate Biology

A primary interest in our lab is understanding the evolutionary phenomena which lead to abrupt patches of invertebrate diversity. The central premise is that vast retooling of invertebrate structure and function precedes punctuated evolution which results in great diversity.

Plant-Animal Interactions

I have broad research interests in the areas of plant-animal interactions and conservation biology. I am particularly interested in the ecology of introduced, invasive plants and the effects of deer herbivory on plant communities.
 

Plant Ecology

I have broad interests in plant ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation biology. My recent research has focused on wetland ecology and restoration, population biology of rare plants, and clonal growth of woody plants.

Plankton Ecology

My training is as a phycologist (specialist in algae) with broad interests in microalgal systematics, ecophysiology, reproductive biology and paleolimnology.

Plant Community Ecology / Tropical Ecology

I am interested in the mechanisms that allow plant species to coexist, the biology of plant invasions, and the dynamics of plant competition and forest regeneration.  I conduct my research in tropical forests of Panama and Costa Rica and in temperate forests and grasslands of Wisconsin.  

Zooplankton

- To further our knowledge of the biological, physical, and chemical factors, which govern the "Umwelt" of planktonic micro-crustaceans.
- To investigate the first principles involved in the interactions between algae and their herbivores, and  herbivorous and carnivorous zooplankton.
- To research and develop new methods of investigation appropriate to the temporal and spatial scales of plankton.     

Behavioral Ecology

My research investigates how paternity, ecological factors and evolutionary history influence parental investment patterns and mating systems in birds. Birds provide an excellent opportunity to study parental investment theory, because in most species both males and female provide extensive parental care.

Plant Physiology / Algal Physiology

My research can be divided into four main areas: 

1) Photosynthesis in algae and aquatic plants
2) Nitrogen uptake and assimilation 
3) Developing indices of phytoplankton nutrient limitation
4) Stress physiology