Our NSF-funded project is with Dr. John Zardus, Dr. Erik Sotka, and others to study the phylogenetic, population genetic, and host association aspects of coronuloid barnacles. These barnacles live on sea turtles, whales, crabs, and other organisms, so you may hear them called "whale barnacles" also. Our study is to understand if patterns of diversity are maintained through limits to larval dispersal, patterns of host movement, or other factors. Stay tuned.

This is funded primarily by the Elaine Lutz Fund for Aquatic Biodiversity. Myself and some students are exploring the evolutionary ecology of this ecosystem-important mussel found at the base of cordgrass in salt marshes. We have one preprint out, three papers in prep, and a lot more fun stuff to do once our project kicks in at the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER in 2026.

A project led by Dr. Rachel Toczydlowski at the USFS Northern Research Station is funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. We will be exploring the best practices for habitat assessment, community survey, and population genetics of freshwater mussels in the Great Lakes. This builds on my experience working on unionids in the southeast, including a 2025 paper by Hayley Robinson and Pete Hazelton; I'm also the curator of aquatic invertebrates for GMNH, thus the Elliptio spinosa at left.