Ecology
of Aquatic Ecosystems
The
University of Notre Dame is a nationally recognized leader
in the study of freshwater ecosystems. Faculty
in the EEE Cluster study lakes, streams, wetlands, and
groundwater from both structural and functional perspectives.
We study populations, communities, and ecosystems
using approaches ranging from the gene to the landscape.
Our study sites extend across North America (from
Florida to Alaska) and span several continents (Africa,
Australia, Europe, and South America). The research
of the faculty incorporates both basic and applied aspects,
and experimental approaches range in scale from laboratory
microcosms to whole-ecosystem manipulations. Major
topics of research include:
The
group studying aquatic ecosystems consists of 7 faculty
members, 35 graduate students, and 10 postdoctoral fellows.
These people are actively engaged in environmental
management and policy nationally and internationally.
Excellent research facilities exist on campus within
the new Hank Family Center for Environmental Studies
and at the University
of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center in the
Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In addition, the
Center for Environmental
Science and Technology has a vast array of instrumentation
available for aquatic sample analysis. Exciting
interdisciplinary research is conducted with faculty
members from the College of Engineering, with whom we
share a graduate
training grant.
