A.B., Stanford University, 1974 Ph.D . , Boston University, 1989
I am a marine ecologist and have worked on both benthic community dynamics and water column processes. Currently, my principal research interest is eutrophication in the coastal zone. In recent years, I have been studying the effects of nutrient loading on phytoplankton abundance and production in Waquoit Bay, a system of estuaries and embayments that we study intensively in the Semester in Environmental Science.
I think it is
important to recognize that global change is usually
manifested in local ecological and environmental problems.
For example, alteration of Earth’s nitrogen budget by
anthropogenic fixation of nitrogen for fertilizers has
resulted in a doubling of the global rate at which nitrogen
is converted from N
2
gas into bioavailable forms
such as ammonium and nitrate. This has resulted in large
increases in nitrogen "loading" in populated areas,
especially along the coasts of North America and Europe.
Marine and estuarine ecosystems are particularly sensitive
to changes in nitrogen inputs, and so, this global change in
the N-budget has caused problems of declining water quality
and undesirable blooms of nuisance algae in the coastal
zone.
The issue of
nitrogen impact on the coastal zone illustrates why good
policy decisions must be grounded firmly in good scientific
information and a deep understanding of the scientific
issues and uncertainties - we would not want to be
controlling phosphorus when nitrogen is the culprit. That is
why I think a program like SES has so much to offer
students; it is essential to learn the fundamentals of
ecosystem science before embarking on careers in the field
of environmental policy, law etc. In fact, regardless of
what career a student eventually ends up in, I think it is
becoming increasingly important for all of us to appreciate
and understand the functions ecosystems perform and the ways
in which human activities are changing them. These are more
than just words for me; I subscribe to the tenet, "think
globally, act locally." That’s why, in addition to
science, I’ve also devoted considerable time and effort
serving on the board of a local land trust (The 300
Committee) which promotes the acquisition of conservation
land and on the town’s Planning Board.
