I help manage the laboratory while also assisting with experiments that focus on understanding how invasive New Zealand Mud Snails impact freshwater stream ecosystems particularly food-webs and their components like algae and invertebrates.

The goal of my current project is to determine the ecology and microhabitat preferences of a native hydrobiid snail in local Santa Barbara Creeks, in order to understand the potential effects that the invasive New Zealand Mud Snail can have on this species.

I am interested how reproduction and growth rates of invasive species - New Zealand Mud Snail are being influence by temperature and light. This project is collaborative effort between RIVRLAB (UCSB) and Dr. Sean Anderson from California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI).

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I’m interested in determining what are the factors effecting pollen production among Arundo donax, an invasive riparian zone plant. My research concentrates on sites in California (around Santa Barbara County) as well as Nevada.