IMG_9147Evaluating the response of  alpine lakes to changing glacial ice is not only an imperative step toward understanding the fate of lake as glaciers ultimately disappear but also these glacier-lake linkages are a model of profound climate-induced hydrological and biogeochemical changes in high latitude and high altitude regions. We are exploring how this reduction in glacial mass in the alpine regions of the Rocky Mountains has influenced diatom communities over time.

Slemmons KE, Saros JE, Stone JR, McGowan S, Hess CT, Cahl D (2015) Effects of glacier meltwater on the algal sedimentary record of an alpine lake in the central U.S. Rocky Mountains throughout the late Holocene. doi: 10.1007/s10933-015-9829-3

Slemmons KE, Saros JE, Simon K (2013) The influence of glacial meltwater on alpine aquatic ecosystems: a review. Environmental Sciences: Processes and Impacts. 15: 1794-1806

 

Slemmons KE, Saros JE (2012) Implications of nitrogen-rich glacial meltwater for phytoplankton diversity and productivity in alpine lakes. Limnology and Oceanography.  57(6):1651-1663.  

Support for this work was provided by the Dan and Betty Churchill Exploration Fund, National Park Service George Melendez Wright Climate Change Fellowship, Correll Fellowship, University of Maine Chase Distinguished Research Assistantship, University of Maine Graduate Student Government Fund, National Science Foundation DEB-0734277, University of Maine School of Biology and Ecology for teaching assistantships.