Environmental and Plant Biology
Porter Hall 400
Education: Ph.D., Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1995
Research Interest: Freshwater Algal Ecology and Evolution
The two primary research foci of this laboratory are systematics/biogeography of freshwater red algae and impacts of acid mine drainage on stream periphyton communities in southeastern Ohio. In our studies of freshwater red algae, we employ a combination of field research and molecular DNA techniques for systematic and phylogeographic research. At present we are concentrating our efforts on multigene phylogenetic analyses to contribute to the Red Tree of Life through a grant from the National Science Foundation. Our studies of the effects of acid mine drainage (AMD) in streams is an effort to understand how the various chemical and physical impacts effect the algal community. We collaborate with other researchers at Ohio University who study impacts of AMD on other aquatic life and hydrogeology of these streams in order to contribute to a more complete understanding of this pollution on the ecosystem. These collaborations got their start as part of an EPA STAR grant. Lastly, we work with colleagues in mechanical engineering on a photobioreactor for CO2 remediation and mechanisms to make algae more useful for fuel applications.