PhD Research Interests
Anthropogenic Influences on Ecology and Evolution
I used Daphnia as a model system to explore the role of phenotypic plasticity in evo-eco dynamics and its potential to influence evolution. I was excited to be part of a new research system in the Cook Inlet area (Kenai Peninsula, Alaska) in collaboration with researchers from Université du Québec à Montréal, McGill University, and Stony Brook University, as well as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Several lakes have had invasive pike introduced. Pike are voracious predators, which have consumed all native species of fish, frogs and water fowl normally found in the system. The Department of Fish and Game will be extirpating the pike. We will be allowed to reintroduce two morphologically distinct forms of native stickleback which are endemic to the area. These introductions will create a unique opportunity to explore the ecological and evolutionary effects of predation regime change (piscivorous, invasive pike to planktivorous, native sticklebacks) and to detect divergent selection patterns on zooplankton between populations. Specifically, I have been testing the influence of standing phenotypic plasticity on the rate and magnitude of evolutionary change in populations of Daphnia as they proceed through the trophic change.
My early work was funded by an EAGER (Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research) grant through the National Science Foundation (NSF). I conducted research in lakes in Alaska and Wisconsin to investigate lake productivity on life history evolution. We worked with previously collected data from researchers at the Arctic (ARC) LTER, the Northern Temperate Lakes (NTL) LTER and Utah State University to detect parallel trends in algal abundance, N:P lake ratios, and ecologically-mediated selection in Daphnia population abundance. We followed this initial analysis with independent field collections of Daphnia at Arctic (ARC) and the Northern Temperate Lakes (NTL) LTER sites. Experimental, lab based studies found parallel evolutionary trends between Daphnia populations, but the responses were achieved via divergent adaptation pathways.
- Ecological influences driving Evolutionary change
- Plasticity's forms and influences on evolutionary change
- Generational phenotypic plasticity in response to changing environments
- Local and global patterns of adaptation - Temperate vs. Arctic
- Implications for prey dynamics, trophic cascades
- Geographic adaptions
- Predator and Top-Down Impacts/Effects
I used Daphnia as a model system to explore the role of phenotypic plasticity in evo-eco dynamics and its potential to influence evolution. I was excited to be part of a new research system in the Cook Inlet area (Kenai Peninsula, Alaska) in collaboration with researchers from Université du Québec à Montréal, McGill University, and Stony Brook University, as well as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Several lakes have had invasive pike introduced. Pike are voracious predators, which have consumed all native species of fish, frogs and water fowl normally found in the system. The Department of Fish and Game will be extirpating the pike. We will be allowed to reintroduce two morphologically distinct forms of native stickleback which are endemic to the area. These introductions will create a unique opportunity to explore the ecological and evolutionary effects of predation regime change (piscivorous, invasive pike to planktivorous, native sticklebacks) and to detect divergent selection patterns on zooplankton between populations. Specifically, I have been testing the influence of standing phenotypic plasticity on the rate and magnitude of evolutionary change in populations of Daphnia as they proceed through the trophic change.
My early work was funded by an EAGER (Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research) grant through the National Science Foundation (NSF). I conducted research in lakes in Alaska and Wisconsin to investigate lake productivity on life history evolution. We worked with previously collected data from researchers at the Arctic (ARC) LTER, the Northern Temperate Lakes (NTL) LTER and Utah State University to detect parallel trends in algal abundance, N:P lake ratios, and ecologically-mediated selection in Daphnia population abundance. We followed this initial analysis with independent field collections of Daphnia at Arctic (ARC) and the Northern Temperate Lakes (NTL) LTER sites. Experimental, lab based studies found parallel evolutionary trends between Daphnia populations, but the responses were achieved via divergent adaptation pathways.