The majority of stream and rivers in the US are impaired and aquatic biodiversity is declining rapidly. Thus, we need tools that seek to jointly understand the causes and consequences of declining ecosystem health on ecosystem processes. We conduct research to understand global change effects on ecosystem processes to inform conservation and management of freshwater ecosystems. Our research uses both observational and experimental approaches to understand how drivers of global change impact ecosystem processes (e.g. nutrient retention, carbon processing) and food web and community dynamics. This research is typically inspired by conservation and management challenges and guided by ecological theory to advance basic scientific understanding of freshwater ecosystems.

Our lab is housed in the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georiga. We work closely with colleagues across UGA and are affiliated with the River Basin Center. Our work leverages partnerships with state, federal, and non-governmental organizations.