Species interactions with their aquatic environment are the prism of my scientific endeavors to understand algal responses to global human alterations and climate change. Algae are valuable bioindicators of ecosystem health and my research inform water quality policy. If you are interested in joining the lab, please email me at rchris13@gmu.edu.
My research interests lie within the fields of algal ecology, physiology, and environmental health. For my PhD, my focus is on how environmental factors affect the life history and toxin production of different Microcoleus species. I am also serving as an algal taxonomist on the Shenandoah River Project, where we identify all benthic algae and cyanobacteria to species level.
My research interest is in the taxonomy and ecology of phytoplankton communities. Currently studying water column algae in the Shenandoah River, focusing on understanding their diversity, distribution, and ecological roles.
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My graduate research is focused on temperature experiments with different toxin strains of cyanobacterium Microcoleus. I am interested also in combining GIS, ecology, and conservation to gather data and create maps/models that can be used to educate policymakers and improve proactive conservation efforts. I help the field and lab work on Shenandoah River Project.
I am interested in marine microbiology and symbioses between organisms. Currently, I am working on a project to analyze cyanobacteria within the Shenandoah River. This project is important to me because the Shenandoah River is the river I grew up near and I want it to be healthy. My studies of mat-forming cyanobacteria from coral reefs are funded by the Litchfield Undergraduate Research in Environmental Microbiology Endowed Scholarship.
I am interested in identifying snail species that have the potential to help manage harmful algae bloom events, as well as expanding current knowledge in reference to gastropods and benthic mat-forming cyanobacteria proliferations overall. I am conducting experiments with river snail sand toxic and non-toxic benthic cyanobacteria. My Summer 2025 research is funded by the Undergraduate Research Scholar Program (URSP) of GMU’s OSCAR Office.
I conduct lab experiments to determine whether or not a variety of freshwater river snails will consume toxic strains of cyanobacterium Microcoleus. I am interested in the impact of Microcoleus on snail behavior and overall health and functioning.
After taking EVPP 441 Protists Diversity and Ecology Course in Spring2025, I continued my research on algae during the summer. I organize the figures for a Field identification guide for macroalgae in the Shenandoah River.
I used several Microcoleus strains to compare extraction methods for measuring phycocyanin and phycoerythrin concentrations. I presented the results at the 63rd Annual Northeast Algal Symposium in Fayetteville, NY, April 4-6, 2025.
I am a GMU Research & Interdisciplinary STEM Experiences (RISE) scholar conducting research in summer 2025. I study filamentous cyanobacteria from the Shenandoah River with focus on Microcoleus distribution.
I am fascinated by the diversity of plants, fungi, algae, and lichens. My current research project focuses on identifying and quantifying stream algae from the Shenandoah River Project.
I am a GMU Research & Interdisciplinary STEM Experiences (RISE) scholar. I study environmental aspects of current algal blooms in the Shenandoah River.
I am a GMU Research & Interdisciplinary STEM Experiences (RISE) scholar conducting research in summer 2024. I study effect of seaweeds on growth and toxicity of filamentous cyanobacteria.
I am an undergraduate pre-med student at the University of California San Diego. I am interested in biology and experimental lab work. During the summer of 2024 I was a volunteer, and then in summer 2025 I returned as a research assistant. I used a light microscope to analyze the cell density of cyanobacterium Microcoleus, which was previously cultured along with several other strains.
I am a sophomore at the College of William and Mary majoring in biology and focusing on microbiology. In summer of 2025, I conducted morphometric analysis and took high quality light microscopy images of benthic cyanobacterium Microseira.
I am a first-year undergraduate student at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, double majoring in Biology and Environmental Studies. In summer of 2025, I worked with Ben on morphometric studies of benthic cyanobacterium Microseira.
