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Biological Limnologist; Aquatic Life in the Finger and Great Lakes
Meghan Brown studies zooplankton in the fresh waters of the Finger Lakes and the Great Lakes and how these microscopic species are influenced by, and influence, biotic and abiotic processes. Using field observations, laboratory experiments, and mathematical models to test hypotheses, her research has centered on how microscopic species interact with their environment and how new species added to the mix have changed the functioning of lakes—namely the fishhook and spiny water fleas, which are among the non-native species that are now established in North American lakes.
Her work has added to the growing body of evidence that non-native species have a substantial impact on our lakes. Her main study species, the spiny water flea, is a close relative to the fishhook water flea that has established in several of the Finger Lakes. These zooplankton, although small in size, have detrimental effects similar to their better known cohorts such as the zebra mussel, purple loosestrife and sea lamprey.
“Although the establishment of these species negatively impacts our lakes, their arrival does provide a lens to view biological process, such as establishment, evolution and species interaction, which are otherwise difficult to elucidate,” Brown explains. “In addition to studying these fascinating aspects of biology, I am involved with mapping the spread of these zooplankters, exploring ways to limit their range expansion, and quantifying their effect on native species. Some of my most recent research explores the role of dormancy, often an obligate phase for freshwater zooplankton, in species dispersal and persistence.” In addition to studying the spiny water flea in North America, she has on going research in Lago Maggiore, Italy where the species is native.
Brown has introduced herself to the students at Hobart and William Smith Colleges through her courses on aquatic biology, exotic species ecology, and conservation biology. Her keen ability to discuss her work in language laypeople can understand has been brought to bear in public forums hosted by the Finger Lakes Institute, the Colleges’ environmental and educational research center.
Her expertise in zooplankton ecology and taxonomy has also been called upon by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Park Service to assist with projects using native zooplankton to assess the health of lakes.
Publications:
Author of:
Environmental factors influencing invasibility and ecological consequences of invasions of the spiny waterflea
Proceedings of the International Association of Limnology: Verhandlungen Internationale Vereinigung fur theoretische und angewandte Limnologie, 2009
Environmental factors influencing invasibility and ecological consequences of persistent invasions of the spiny waterflea
Verhandlungen Internationale Vereinigung fur theoretische und angewandte Limnologie, 2008
Nature and nurture in dormancy: dissolved oxygen, pH and maternal investment impact Bythotrephes longimanus resting egg emergence and neonate condition diapauses
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 2008
Nature and nurture in dormancy: dissolved oxygen, pH and maternal investment impact Bythotrephes longimanus resting egg emergence and neonate condition diapauses
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 2008
Co-author of:
A 2001 survey of crustacean zooplankton in the western arm of Lake Superior
Journal of Great Lakes Research, 2004
Changes in phenology of the spiny water flea, Bythotrephes longimanus and its success in Lake Maggiore, Italy as a result of changes in climate and trophy
Journal of Plankton Research , 2007
Historic nutrient loading and recent species invasions cause shifts in water quality and zooplankton demography in two Finger Lakes
Journal of Paleolimnology, 2011
Patterns in the abundance, phenology, and hatching of the resting egg stage of the invasive zooplankter Bythotrephes longimanus: implications for establishment
Biological Invasions, 2011
Perch or plankton top down control of Daphnia by Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) or Bythotrephes cederstroemi in an inland lake?
Freshwater Biology, 2000
Population regulation of the exotic zooplankter, Bythotrephes longimanus (Crustacea: Cercopagidae), in a reservoir: implications for invasion
Limnology and Oceanography, 2011
Range expansion of Bythotrephes longimanus in North America: evaluating habitat characteristics in the spread of an exotic zooplankter
Biological Invasions, 2006
Seasonal dynamics in Bythotrephes diapausing egg emergence and production, and the role of dormancy in range expansion
Verhandlungen Internationale Vereinigung fur theoretische und angewandte Limnologie, 2005
Spatial, seasonal, and diel distribution patterns of Hemimysis anomala in New York State's Finger Lakes
Journal of Great Lakes Research, 2011
The potential link between lake productivity and the invasive zooplankter Cercopagis pengoi in Owasco Lake
Aquatic Invasions, 2008
Interview opportunities and additional background information may be requested through the Office of Communications, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York. Phone: (315) 781-3540. After business hours, Communications staff members are accessible through contact information on their answering machine at that number.
Meghan Brown, who joined the biology department in August 2006, holds a doctorate and master’s degree from the University of Minnesota, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.
A teacher and researcher, she has taught at The Inland Seas Education Association, Suttons Bay, Mich.; University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minn.; Rochester High School, Rochester, Vt.; The Island Institute, Canoe Island, Wash. She has conducted research with the National Research Council Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi, Pallanza, Italy; Minnesota Sea Grant, Duluth, Minn.; the National Park Service, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Bayfield, Wis.; U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, Minn.; and Lac Courte Oreilles Conservation Department, Hayward, Wis.
Brown is the author of numerous articles that have appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as Biological Invasions, Journal of Great Lakes Research, Freshwater Biology, and Health Education & Behavior.
She is a member of several organizations including the International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and National Association of Science Teachers.