Research projects
Future projects and collaborations
I am currently particularly interested in:
-
Marine biogeochemistry (past and present)
-
Fisheries science and policy
-
Intersection of marine ecology and biogeochemistry
-
Policy implementation
-
Developing low-cost sampling techniques that can be used in remote community-based settings
We're using silicon isotopes in sponge spicules as a proxy for silica concentration in the past.
Marine oxygenation and nutrient cycling (biomarkers, nitrogen isotopes, trace metals)
We're looking at changes in nutrient cycles and ocean oxygenation using nitrogen isotopes, trace metals, and biomarkers from marine sedimentary samples.
Global marine Si cycle (silicon isotopes in sponge spicules)
Osmium, mercury, and other non-traditional stable isotopes
We're looking at changes in global weathering, climate, and volcanism using non-traditional stable isotopes.
SEM/EDS for full thin section elemental maps
We worked at JPL to make elemental maps and full thin section images for an entire stratigraphic section, developing a protocol for returned Mars samples.
Global Hg cycle across the Triassic–Jurassic boundary
Mercury contents and isotopes can be used to trace volcanism in the past, depending on the stratigraphic environment. We measured Hg contents and isotopes from several sections around the world during the TJB.
Global carbon cycle across the Triassic–Jurassic boundary
Carbon isotopes are used to look at major changes to the global carbon cycle through time
Coral microbiome characterization for corals grown in different pCO2 and temperatures
Folks at UM grew coral in different CO2, temperatures, and pHs. Part of that work was looking at how the microbial community changed. I helped characterize those microbial communities for comparison.
Hunting (and finding) a new species of benthic ctenophore
Someone had notes from the 1960s describing a small benthic ctenophore. We were sent to find them! We sampled octocorals for ages and eventually found them. That got published here and I saved the very blurry video of one!
Coho salmon in the columbia river estuary
For my NOAA Hollings Fellowship I looked at gut contents of juvenile coho salmon from the Colombia River Estuary. Salmon eat crab larvae, bugs, and plastic...
Soil carbon storage by mycorrhizal fungi
Fungi form symbiosis with plants, which contributes to carbon sequestration in soil. I helped measure glomalin, a glycoprotein, to better understand soil C storage.