Month: May 2025

Albert and Rose attended the Society for Freshwater Science Annual Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico! Albert presented about how spatial patterns of river drying interact with fragmentation and disturbance to reduce biodiversity. Rose presented results from a leaf litter decomposition experiment where she found that lower leaf litter quality primarily explains slower breakdown rates at intermittent compared to perennial flow sites. They also fit in some time to hike and birdwatch in El Yunque National Forest, spotting the beautiful San Pedrito (Puerto Rican tody) and exploring creeks with freshwater shrimp!

To wrap up the semester, we threw a pizza party to thank our incredible undergraduates who spent countless hours this year wading through and identifying aquatic macroinvertebrate samples. From counting caddisflies to spotting stoneflies, their microscopy skills make them our lab MVPs. A special goodbye to our graduating seniors—your contributions are anything but ephemer(optera)! We’re so grateful for all the bug-tastic work, and we can’t wait to see where your emergence takes you!