My lab studies the ecology, physiology, and biochemistry of marine plants and seaweeds. Although we have looked at many different aspects of marine macrophyte ecology and physiology, we are particularly focused on the role that natural products play in mediating interactions among organisms. Much of this research examines the costs, benefits, and environmental impacts of producing these metabolites. As a result, my lab addresses many different types of questions related to the synthesis and use of these compounds. Some of the topics that my lab researches include:
- the effects of environmental stresses, including climate change and ocean acidification, on the production, efficacy, and impacts of marine allelochemicals and toxins,
- the effects of bioactive natural products on the formation, persistence, and environmental consequences of harmful seaweed blooms,
- the influence of allelopathic natural products on interaction strengths, food webs, and community dynamics
- the uptake of contaminants by edible seaweeds,
- algal volatile compounds as airborne signaling molecules in intertidal environments, and
- the role of sulfur-based algal metabolites in the movement of sulfur from coastal waters to the atmosphere