My early career focused on studies of plankton communities in lakes of the northeastern United States (Adirondack Mountains) and issues related to lake acidification.  Key findings of my research were: documenting the effects of lake restoration (liming) on plankton communities and  developing biomonitoring indices to assess recovery.  A recent update on this work has been published in Environmental Science and Technology (Nierzwicki-Bauer et al. 2010).

Around 1997 my research shifted to rivers and impoundments.  These under-studied systems are dominated by external inputs of organic matter and this has led some to conclude that algal production is of minimal importance.  More recent work by Kumud Acharya and myself showed that algae represent a small but nutritionally important component of riverine organic matter (Acharya et al. 2005; Acharya et al. 2006). 

Since joining the faculty at VCU I have become involved in studies of tidal freshwater streams and rivers.  These habitats are biologically productive and biogeochemically active.  The VCU Rice Center provides excellent facilities for investigating ecosystem processes in the James River Estuary and the tidal tributary Kimages Creek. 

Current Research - click on projects below to learn more:

• James River Ecosystem Study – ideas and approaches for understanding the role of nutrients and algal blooms in regulating nutrient retention and supporting the foods webs.

• Restoration of Kimages Creek  – measuring the nutrient retention capacity of a restored tidal stream.

• A Tale of Three Rivers – comparative limnology of the Upper Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri Rivers.