Professor Research Area: Marine population and community ecology; algal ecology. Office: CBLS 181 Telephone: (401) 874-4495 Email: thornber@uri.edu
I am a broadly trained ecologist. My laboratory’s research currently focuses primarily on ecological processes in estuarine, intertidal and subtidal marine communities, including plant-herbivore interactions, life cycle dynamics of macroalgal blooms, and the impacts of ocean acidification and invasive species. To address these questions, we employ a suite of different techniques, including long-term studies of macroalgal bloom communities, field and laboratory manipulative experiments, theoretical modeling, and (most recently) population genetics.
From a young age, I’ve been fascinated by the ocean and the mysteries that it holds. My research interests cover a broad range of topics including the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems, the impacts of introduced/non-native species on native faunas and floras, and seaweed physiology and aquaculture. I completed my Ph.D. (Plant Biology) at the University of New Hampshire in 2014. My doctoral research focused on seaweed aquaculture, with the goal of providing scientific data to advance the growing seaweed aquaculture industry in New England. In particular, my research efforts were focused on red seaweeds in the genus Porphyra and Pyropia, more commonly known by the Japanese name “nori”. Nori is the most economically valuable seaweed in the world and is primarily used as the seaweed wrapper in sushi.
My current research as a postdoc in Dr. Thornber’s lab involves a wide range of topics related to bloom-forming macroalgae. Current research projects include 1) investigating the role of perforations in blades of bloom-forming algae, 2) investigating chemical interactions in macroalgal communities, 3) determining the effect of increased sea surface temperature on the growth of bloom-forming macroalgae, and 4) tracking macroalgal blooms using aerial technology and groundtruthing in collaboration with Dr. Stephen Licht (University of Rhode Island). For more information on my research, please visit my website: https://lindsayagreen.wordpress.com/
I have always been drawn to the ocean due to the unanswered questions it contains. As I pursed my studies at the University of New Haven, I sought to understand more about the marine environment. I graduated with a B.S. in Marine Biology and Environmental Science in May of 2015. As an undergraduate, I worked with salt marsh ecologist Dr. Roman Zajac, who helped me discover my own love for salt marsh environments. My interests expanded to macroalgae after an internship at Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, where I researched the impacts of macroalgae blooms on salt marsh plants. I intend to pursue these topics in graduate school and joined Dr. Thornber’s lab as a PhD student in the fall of 2015.
Overall, my research interests include the effects of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on coastal systems. As a graduate student, I am interested in studying the causes of macroalgae blooms and their impacts on coastal communities. I also have a strong interest in marine conservation and plan to use my research to develop conservation management plans for threatened coastal ecosystems.
forms of association within and between species, particularly cooperation and mutualism.
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