![Sunset sky over Lake 239 field site]](/assets/images/L239_sunset_sky.png)

We combine fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and biogeochemical modeling to understand how catchment and climate drivers shape the chemistry of headwater lakes. Because these systems are exceptionally sensitive to environmental change, they serve as ideal sentinels for broader ecological shifts.

Collaborating with students and colleagues, we integrate field data, high-frequency sensor measurements, and geospatial analysis to investigate how and why lakes change over time. Ultimately, our research addresses critical real-world challenges—including oxygen depletion, harmful algal blooms (HABs), lake brownification from rising dissolved organic carbon, and safeguarding drinking water under a changing climate.