We are a group of freshwater ecologists from the Biology Department at St. Catherine University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Our research takes us to Iceland and other arctic regions where we are working to understand how temperature influences nitrogen fixation rates and metabolism in cyanobacterial assemblages. Nitrogen fixation is extremely sensitive to temperature and therefore nitrogen gas from the atmosphere may become more accessible to freshwater ecosystems as the climate warms. We are working to understand the potential ecological and environmental implications of changes in cyanobacteria species composition and nitrogen fixation rates in arctic lakes and streams.

Sunday, July 23, 2017

It's the little things


I love my job as an ecologist. I get to travel, conduct research, collaborate, all in the beauty of the landscape! However, my job, as with any job, isn't always a ray of sunshine. In fact, many times my job as a field ecologist brings extreme challenges and tedious tasks. For example, it can be really mentally and physically draining when you have an 8-10 hour field day with constant rain and winds. You get soaked, cold, and grumpy. It's in these moments where I remember to appreciate and find happiness in the little things. It's the little things that provide the extra boost of motivation to keep going. 

A chamber capped on the first try!













The perfect scoop of Nostoc!

















An ARA balloon inflated just right!

















Perfect parallel tape of a scintillation vial!
A good standard curve on the first try!
No algae in the MIMS samples!
Field chocolate ... field chocolate
The wind that blows away all the bugs!
1000 mL measured in a single pour!
The little sheep watching from the hill.
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