Research: I’m interested in the effects of microplastic on phytoplankton. My research is especially on the question if microplastic forms (e.g. fiber vs fragment) and types (e.g. polypropylene vs polyester) show different effects on phytoplankton growth and aggregation.

Research: My research focuses on the exchange of biogenic organic compounds between the surface and the ocean interior. I use organic compounds to understand how biology, biogeochemical cycles, climate change, and the biological carbon pump interact. Currently, I am investigating how the biogeochemical composition of marine aggregates affects processes of disaggregation and their sinking velocity impacting the carbon transfer in the ocean in current and future conditions.

Research: I study the capacity of bacterial communities in the Laurentian Great Lakes to biodegrade spilled oil. My research focuses on community shifts, changes in oil chemistry during biodegradation, and seasonal and site-specific variations in biodegradation potential. The goal is to improve our understanding of the fate and potential effects of oil spills in the Great Lakes, which are ecological, economic, and recreational hotspots in North America.

Research: I study the transport and effects of plastic pollution in the North Atlantic Ocean. My research interests specifically include understanding how much plastic setles to the botom of the North Atlantic every year or the setling flux of plastic pollution, and how plastics may be impacting the biological carbon pump.