Little Creatures and Big Questions - Kelly Loria
Scientists are lucky, we get to spend our time asking questions and then seeking the answers. The University of Colorado鈥檚 EBIO department is filled with inspiring people asking questions across all scales of nature. Personally, I鈥檓 curious about how the indirect and direct actions of humans affect aspects of aquatic ecosystems. With the help of Dr. Pieter Johnson, I鈥檓 working on an honors thesis that examines how well zooplankton communities act as bioindicators of habitat quality by evaluating their responses to disturbances. As an undergraduate student, pursuing an honors thesis has been a fantastic opportunity to synthesize the experience I鈥檝e gained in experimental design, data collection, analysis, and communication. Though my questions about aquatic ecosystems may be large, the focal organisms are tiny, and it has been challenging and rewarding to process and interpret all of the information. Aside from my honors thesis I鈥檓 also involved with conservation-based research in Niwot Ridge鈥檚 Long Term Ecological Research sites in Green Lakes Valley. It is crucial to study alpine ecosystems both because of their expected sensitivity to climate shifts and because of their role in ecosystem services, including provisioning of water. In future, I hope to build upon my knowledge of community ecology in order to keep learning how best to protect sensitive ecosystems.
