Kristen and Gina lead kiddos through a plant-soil-microbe game. It was a big hit!

Undergrad researchers Megan Koceja, Allison Fisk, and Emma Richards represent the lab! Job well done, gang!!!

Etheridge, J.R., B.R. Hinckley, R. Mason III, A.L. Peralta, R. Smith, T. Vogel. 2019. Identifying the causes of eutrophication and flooding in the Lake Mattamuskeet watershed. Water Resources Research Institute of The University of North Carolina Annual Conference. Raleigh, NC. March 21 – 22.

Mason, R., J.R. Etheridge, B.R. Hinckley, and A.L. Peralta. 2019. Interactions of land use and hydrologic management affect nitrogen cycling dynamics in a coastal watershed. Water Resources Research Institute of The University of North Carolina Annual Conference. Raleigh, NC. March 21 – 22.

Vogel, T., J.R. Etheridge, A.L. Peralta, J.P. Hochard. 2019. Relating groundwater well depth to water quality in rural Eastern North Carolina. Water Resources Research Institute of The University of North Carolina Annual Conference. Raleigh, NC. March 21 – 22.  ​

AP arrives at AGU with so many 1000's of participants! Lab shares ongoing research on waterfowl impoundments. There was lots of science learned and even time to take in amazing exhibits at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
 
Peralta, A.L., J.R. Etheridge, and Hinckley, B.R.§ (2018) Harnessing hydrologic management to manipulate nutrient dynamics at the terrestrial-aquatic interface. American Geophysical Union. Washington, D.C. December 10-14, 2018. Oral presentation.

Gina and AP present at NC ASM! 
​
​Peralta, A.L., A. Stucy§, J. Werba§, and M.W. McCoy (2018). Salinization impacts on bacterial phylogeny-function relationships in historically freshwater ecosystems. American Society for Microbiology North Carolina Branch. October 27, 2018. Oral presentation. 
​
Bledsoe, R.§, C. Goodwillie, and A.L. Peralta, (2018). Long-term fertilization differentially influences bulk soil and rhizosphere microbial community composition. American Society for Microbiology North Carolina Branch. October 27, 2018. Poster presentation. 

Peralta, A.L., A. Stucy, J. Werba, and M.W. McCoy (2018). Salinization impacts on bacterial phylogeny-function relationships in historically freshwater ecosystems. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA. August 5-10, 2018. 

It's an exciting time to be a member of the ESA Microbial Ecology Section! It's great to witness our section grow in size and enthusiasm each year. Ariane officially moves into the Section Chair role for 2018-19 year. 

With head designer Kayla Clark at the helm, we produced new items to sell at the Ecological Society of America 2018 conference. Sales support the ESA Microbial Ecology Section membership travel and outreach activities. We love STEAM collaborations! 

Brian successfully defended his thesis "Describing Nitrogen Dynamics in Eastern North Carolina Waterfowl Impoundments by Combining Field-Scale and Laboratory-Scale Based Approaches" and Debbie defended her  dissertation "Are All Fish Nurseries Equal? Determining How Food Web Dynamics Affect Fishery Nursery Habitat."

Megan and Ariane set up a decomposition experiment at the long-term fertilization/mowing plots at ECU's West Research Campus. Megan will dig up buried rooibos and green tea bags in August to examine how long-term fertilization influences litter decomposition. While the soil microbes munch for three months, Megan is participating in a Bioethics program at Yale University this summer. Congrats to Megan!