https://www.vermontlimnology.com/welcome-sonora daily 1.0 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56d47d412b8ddea29eb012d8/1460388281962-GD7BDJQYTVG5FO2KCTN7/image-asset.png Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/1512764805308-AR16F50TLJBMM91JE3HU/ArcoLakePhytos.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/1511647214010-YLKD9EPBBS2FIUGQIJVW/20171025_133239.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/1512254382205-6KFT0C7VSNUF5WQG1JR8/MississippiHeadwaters.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/1512763474336-KJDNQ2UKYR7GAVALZ5MD/Madison1.jpg Welcome https://www.vermontlimnology.com/about daily 0.75 2025-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/d0b99518-5316-4ba3-9bb3-3e7b7c722eae/Jo+Bio+Picture.PNG Team - Jo Delahunt Accelerated Msc Student, Rubenstein School jo.delahunt@uvm.edu Jo is an accelerated MS student finishing their BS in Fisheries Biology. Their current interests in research are algal bloom dynamics, phenology, and lake carbon cycling. Overall, they’re passionate about aquatic ecology and art! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/d8215f6b-6c00-499a-8cab-9899c31cf963/IMG_9356.jpg Team - Ana “Mindy” Morales, PhD Associate Professor, Rubenstein School ana.morales@uvm.edu C.V. I'm a limnologist specializing in phycology and biogeochemistry. My research interests include phytoplankton community ecology, cyanobacteria bloom dynamics, land-water linkages, and effects of eutrophication on carbon cycling in lake ecosystems. I investigate how fine scale physiological and ecological mechanisms feedback to drive ecosystem and landscape scale processes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/d93a8669-5ba5-4224-9e4e-032ad278f417/thumbnail_126720554_196083468742915_5022074872409305080_n.jpg Team - Rachel Cray PhD Student, Rubenstein School rachel.cray@uvm.edu Rachel graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a Master's degree in Biology in 2021, where she researched algal physiological changes in response to oxidative stress. Additionally, she has also previously worked at the Marine Biological Laboratory developing advanced microscopy techniques. Her current research interests involve the intersection of algal community ecology and biogeochemistry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/00993e90-afdd-45ff-954c-200bb294ba19/IMG_3270.jpg Team - Audrey Manning BS Student, Rubenstein School WFB audrey.manning@uvm.edu Audrey Manning is a Bachelor of Science student working towards a degree in Fisheries Biology with an interest in marine fisheries. Audrey is currently working with PhD student Edouard Rugema on his project involving phytoplankton community stability and ecosystem function in Lake Champlain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/44484aa2-f361-46b7-8944-1ef3cca1e24a/IMG_2126.JPG Team - Atlas Cooper Field & Lab Technician atlas.cooper@uvm.edu Atlas graduated from UVM RSENR with their BS degree in Wildlife Biology in 2025. They have interests in herpetology and aquatic biology. Atlas is currently assisting with Anila Ajayan's mesocosm research investigating effects of warming winters on lake ecosystem function, and additional help around the lab. They are most interested in how changing ecosystem dynamics cause unique biology. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/295e0579-1939-444d-b049-999e44e8f5bb/CBetz+Picture.JPG Team - Carl Betz Laboratory Manager carl.betz@uvm.edu Carl completed a B.S. In Environmental Science at the University of Vermont in 2021 and an M.S. in Environmental Chemistry & Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2025. Before joining the Vermont Limnology Lab, he also worked as a seasonal analyst at the Vermont Agriculture and Environmental Laboratory. Carl's professional interests include environmental analytical chemistry, aquatic biogeochemistry, contaminant hydrogeology, and science communication. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/1ebf182d-aaa0-4cff-91a3-4ab703b77577/KColbert.jpg Team - Kelsey Colbert MSc Student, Rubenstein School kelsey.colbert@uvm.edu Kelsey graduated from the University of Vermont in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science in the Rubenstein School. After a few years out west from Wyoming and Alaska to New Zealand, Kelsey is back in Vermont working for the Lake Champlain Basin Program on the Lake Champlain Long Term Monitoring Program. Kelsey’s current research in the Vermont Limnology Lab has a focus on phytoplankton and forecasting algae blooms using remote sensing and satellite data in Lake Champlain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/185644a5-c6b5-49ba-bfc7-3ec358fc021c/1719242298714.jpg Team - Anila P. Ajayan, PhD Postdoctoral Researcher, Rubenstein School anila.ajayan@uvm.edu I graduated from the University of Kerala from the Department of Botany, India. I am interested in learning trait-based phytoplankton community ecology. I am more interested in understanding: 1) How does trait diversity mediate the effect of anthropogenic/ climatic stressors on ecosystem function? 2) What is the effect of phenotypic plasticity on ecosystem function? 3)How do traits interact between the trophic levels? At UVM, I will be interested in understanding the phytoplankton phenology in response to warming winter conditions in experimental mesocosms and small lakes. Personally, I am a cheerful, optimistic, and eco-friendly person. Interested in freshwater biomonitoring and biodiversity conservation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/6312c689-bad3-4d25-a339-01b1d6f4c852/IMG_0399_Original.jpg Team - Elliot Dillon BS Student, Rubenstein School ENSC Elliot.Dillon@uvm.edu Elliot Dillon is a Bachelor of Science student in the Rubenstein School. She is working towards an Environmental Science degree with a concentration in Global Environment and Climate and a minor in Geosciences. Elliot is currently assisting Carl Betz with water chemistry analysis of Vermont lakes. She has interests in water quality, biogeochemical cycling, and aquatic ecosystems https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/efb6b603-a583-4e05-a100-493031e1bcf3/Screenshot_20250112-121125.png Team - Ben Kelley Data technician benjamin.kelley@uvm.edu Ben (he/him) graduated from the University of Rochester in 2023 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. After undergrad, he worked as the data manager for the Finger Lakes Institute, a non-profit conducting water quality research in the Finger Lakes of central New York, as the data manager where he specialized in using the R ecosystem to perform statistical analysis of large water quality datasets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/009e69a5-9b8d-4de4-9d08-f2b8a5fc618c/UTF-8limnobiophoto.JPG Team - Bo Barile BS Student, Rubenstein School WFB bbarile1@uvm.edu Bo Barile is a B.Sc. undergrad at the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. She works with both the Vermont Limnology Lab and the Fisheries Lab at the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory. Bo is majoring in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology with a focus on fisheries and minoring in Geospatial Technologies. Their research interests include benthic ecology in both freshwater and marine environments. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/5fa51133-c5e2-47ce-82a2-cf826529b6fc/Seymour_Jul22_8.jpg Team - Eva Hendrickson MSc Student, Rubenstein School https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/9cc21b82-abd8-4e19-9a0c-08289d5d1424/unnamed-2.jpg Team - Edouard Rugema PhD Student, Rubenstein School edouard.rugema@uvm.edu Edouard graduated from the University of Rwanda in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in applied Biology. He graduated also from Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 2017 with a master’s degree in marine and Lacustrine Science and Management where he researched on changes in phytoplankton community structure in relation to limnological parameters in Lake Kivu. His current research focuses on investigations between phytoplankton community stability and ecosystem function in Lake Champlain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/ee65181e-673c-4a64-a83b-a2d6e3ad0b01/IMG_7030.jpeg Team - Memrie Harness BS Student, Rubenstein School ENSC, Perennial Intern memrie.harness@uvm.edu Hi I’m Memrie! I am earning my Bachelors of Science degree in the Rubenstein School studying Environmental Science with a concentration in Conservation Biology and a minor in Microbiology. I am currently working with Dr. Mindy Morales on a project that involves the documentation of long-term algal response to climate change/anthropogenic disturbances through phytoplankton herbarium slides. I am interested in studying the phenology of Lake Champlain and Vermont’s inland lakes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/98c4f542-b9dc-4b72-affe-0e05b42833ae/image0.jpg Team - Fletcher Gordon BS Student, Rubenstein School WFB kegordon@uvm.edu Fletcher Gordon is pursuing his Bachelor's of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology at UVM, and is currently working under Jo Delahunt with phytoplankton and algal blooms in Shelburne Pond. He is a native Virginian who is passionate about art, adventure, and ecology! https://www.vermontlimnology.com/schedule daily 0.75 2024-06-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/1515963524260-YAKNEHMR10LLJ37QX4PI/Itasca2.jpg Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/193a19c5-09ef-4e4a-af64-0a766665b310/5B7E4E68-44AF-4998-96C6-518B7EEE147E.JPG Research - Alteration of community assembly & energy flow along the stream to lake continuum Nutrient drivers of phytoplankton productivity in freshwater are well understood. Despite this, cyanobacteria bloom events remain challenging to predict because we do not fully understand how climate change processes influence the mechanisms underlying these relationships at lake and watershed scales. Our work investigates the role of extreme hydrologic events in determining algal community assembly and energy transfer (carbon flux) along a stream to eutrophic lake continuum. In collaboration with Pablo E. Gutiérrez-Fonseca (UVM RSENR), we are investigating the influence of disturbance sequence (drought or heat wave followed by flood or vice versa) and intensity on the lag time between community turnover in stream and pelagic biota, and changes in energy flow along the stream to lake continuum. This work is funded by USGS award #G24AC00122 to AMM & PEG. MS student: Jo Delahunt https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/1512767446240-1FXOSPV578PYRYXQ1WTW/MIcrocystis.jpg Research - A disturbance phenology for phytoplankton communities and ecosystem function Anthropogenic disturbance is not only altering ecosystem function but shifting the amplitude of fluctuation in aquatic ecosystems. Lakes phytoplankton communities are sentinels of ecological change, responding to disturbance and shaping biogeochemical cycles through fluctuation in their biomass, primary productivity, and functional traits. Although algae generally have a doubling time of hours to days, traits such as dormancy and alternative metabolic strategies allow persistence of populations across annual to multi-decadal time scales. This project aims to describe a disturbance phenology framework for algal community assembly that is scalable across space and time in order to predict feedbacks and threshold shifts in lake ecosystem function. This work is funded by NSF DEB CAREER award #2144197. PhD students: Rachel Cray & Edouard Rugema https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/8cddfb3a-e076-4f12-aae7-ccdc4368313d/Picture1.jpg Research - On Thin Ice: Future phytoplankton phenology and ecosystem function Lakes around the world face rapidly warming temperatures coupled with shorter winters, which affects ice cover, and phytoplankton dynamics. We predict that the gradual loss of winter ice and snow cover will dramatically shape lake physical characteristics, which sets the template for phytoplankton species interactions and competitive outcomes. As a lake’s thermal regime shifts, we expect there will be major changes to phytoplankton community interactions and competition, which will alter succession and cyanobacteria bloom patterns. Our work addresses foundational ecological questions related to community diversity and assembly, placed in the context of rapidly changing winter conditions. Collaborators: Rebecca North (U of Missouri), Meredith Holgerson (Cornell), Bella Oleksy (U of Colorado Boulder, and Dave Richardson (SUNY New Paltz). Funded by NSF Macrosystems award #2306896. Postdoctoral Researcher: Anila P. Ajayan, PhD https://www.vermontlimnology.com/vendors daily 0.75 2024-06-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/1515964643254-ZFMGKPPV7DT40N44FIPB/WestOBuoy.jpg Publications https://www.vermontlimnology.com/past-events daily 0.75 2025-02-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/1515966195812-5YMLZX6CGJ9Z1IFNI8UE/MississHeadwaters1.jpg Join us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/1f9b1e73-11fd-40df-905c-7e8caf5865ae/Vermont+Limnology+Laboratory-5.png Join us - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.vermontlimnology.com/services daily 0.75 2023-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a19d10390bcceacbe691eb8/1515963239786-V95TBPRG8ULHSZTDUOTY/ArcoLakePhytos.jpg Services