| Research interests: | My research studies have focused on the ecology of estuarine and coastal shallow water environments, especially those vegetated with marshes, seagrasses and other submersed aquativ vegetation. Specifically, I have studied the relationships between these aquatic macrophyte systems and environmental factors including water quality conditions that limit their growth, survival and restoration. These studies have been hierarchal in nature, ranging from the physiological response of individual organisms, to field studies of seagrass restoration, to ecosystem-level response of seagrass beds to management actions in the Chesapeake Bay. Similarly, tools for investigating these different levels have varied, from measurements of plant photosynthesis both in the field and in the lab, using pulsed modulated fluorescence (PAM) and other techniques, to bay-wide abundance changes using remotely sensed data and satellite imagery. I am very active in coastal resource management at the state, regional and national levels, focusing on shallow water quality issues and SAV restoration. |
