Research Interests
Harmful algal blooms
Harmful algal bloomers (HABs) threaten ecosystem health through the production of organic compounds (such as toxins), or by causing bottom water oxygen depletion. In Georgia and beyond, coastal ecosystems are monitored for the presence of HABs. HAB species routinely show up in our Skidaway River Estuary, but what determines whether blooms form? And how are they responding to anthropogenic changes in their physical and chemical environment? In 2017, high numbers of the dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea was thought to be responsible for a shellfish mortality event. We are interested in expanding monitoring efforts in GA by establishing their seasonal timing, documenting their relationship with water quality parameters, and characterizing their interactions with other microbes in the ecosystem.