Shelby A. Rinehart joins CELS as an assistant professor of watershed ecology in the Department of Natural Resources. A broadly trained environmental scientist with a strong background in population biology, community ecology, biogeochemistry, ecohydrology, and environmental ethics, Dr. Rinehart’s research aims to understand how organismal biodiversity can influence critical ecosystem functions and services.
Q. What drew you to environmental science?
I always loved playing in the water as a kid, and spent my summers catching frogs, fish, and insects near Lake Hayward, Connecticut. But I never intended to be an environmental scientist and was originally dead set on becoming a veterinarian. I enrolled in URI in 2009 as a Biological Sciences major with the intention of pursuing the pre-vet route. That fall I ended up in Dr. Evan Preisser’s Introduction to Ecology course. It sounds a bit cliché, but this one course changed my whole plan. Only a few weeks into the course, I started looking for opportunities on campus to get involved in ecological and environmental research and I haven’t stopped since!
What gets you most excited about pursuing your research interests?
It’s a great excuse to play outside in the mud. Just kidding, but not completely. I get really excited about finding ways to use ecological theory to inform how we manage, conserve, and restore habitats. For a long time, researchers focused on ecological theory worked in isolation of habitat managers and restoration practitioners. But I have found that taking the time to cross this disciplinary divide has enhanced my understanding of ecological theory and increased the value of my contributions to restoration strategies.
How does it feel to return to URI as a faculty member after completing your bachelor’s here?
A dream come true! When I graduated from URI, I dreamt of coming back and supporting the community that gave me so many wonderful opportunities. I was also realistic and recognized that the chances that I would ever be able to come back to URI were slim, especially given the competitive faculty job market. But sometimes your dreams do come true, it may just take a little longer than you planned!
What research are you working on right now, or will you be working on at URI this fall?
I often joke that I am a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’, so my research interests are all over the place! But the one underlying theme across all my work is a genuine curiosity for how ecosystems function. In this vein, my graduate students and I have multiple projects looking at how animals like fiddler crabs, desert snails, and freshwater mussels can influence how ecosystems develop and the rates of important ecosystem processes, like nutrient cycling. We use these studies to better understand how animals, even small ones, can be integrated into habitat restoration and management.
I am also very interested in interactions between predators and their prey, and how these interactions can shape ecosystem resilience. For instance, my graduate student Maja will be starting some new projects looking at how blue crab predators affect the feeding behavior and morphology of ribbed mussels, which can ultimately influence how quickly salt marshes erode.
How do you describe your work to non-academics?
My research looks to understand the ways that animals impact environmental processes, which helps us to better integrate animals into habitat restoration, management, and creation efforts. For example, we have found that mimicking fiddler crab burrows, using lawn aerators, can speed up the growth of important plants and the development of ecosystem services, like reducing wave energy, in restored salt marshes.
Will you be designing any new courses and/or leading a lab for students at URI?
This fall I am teaching a restoration ecology field course that will have students developing, implementing, and reporting on a monitoring protocol for restored tidal marshes in Rhode Island. Ultimately, the class will generate a report on their monitoring efforts for the Narragansett National Estuarine Research Reserve and Rhode Island Natural History Survey. I based this class on projects that I worked on as a scientific advisor for a water district in California. I think it’s important that we design courses to emphasize skill building, especially scientific communication and experimental design.
I also run the Watershed Bio-Funk Lab, which is housed in the Coastal Institute. My group currently includes four graduate students (Aviva Lerman, Erika Hansen, Jecy Klinkam, and Maja Neilson), three undergraduate students (Rachel Jean-Charles, Kira Quitel, and John Moran), a research technician (Dana Frankenstein), and an incoming postdoctoral researcher (Dr. Jamie Bucholz). However, not everyone is located here at URI, some folks are located at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
What are you reading or listening to right now?
I love horror, especially anything supernatural and paranormal. I am a weekly listener of ‘Scared to Death’ and ‘Lore’. As for reading, I just started Bob the Drag Queen’s recent book called “Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert”, which puts Harriett Tubman in modern times seeking liberation through hip-hop. Bob has also made some incredible music videos that accompany the book and its message of salvation and freedom. It’s been a very thought-provoking read that has a very empowering message for the LGBT+ community.
Anything else you’d like to add?
In my free time, I can be found hiking and kayaking around RI and eastern CT. Two of my favorite spots to visit, especially in the fall, are Gillette Castle State Park and Devil’s Hopyard State Park. They are both beautiful and have some fantastic local history and lore around them.