Research themes in the Laney Lab Group

Research in my lab involves interdisciplinary questions about phytoplankton, light, and instrumentation like these:

• How does an individual phytoplankton cell respond to changes in its environment?
• What aspects of phytoplankton ecology are important over one or several generations?
• How can we better assess photosynthetic ecology of phytoplankton using optical approaches?
• How can we better apply bio-optical techniques and instruments in new oceanographic opportunities?

Answering questions in these areas involves a combination of research approaches including fieldwork, instrument development, numerical modeling, and laboratory studies. My favorite research questions are those that revisit longstanding or 'stalled' paradigms in phytoplankton ecology, especially in hard to access areas of the world's ocean to see if new observational or conceptual approaches can be used to restart inquiry in those areas.