Kirsten Work

Part of my spring 2005 limnology class and me (center)

Limnology    Conservation Biology

Biology Department    Aquatic and Marine Biology Program

Assistant Professor
Biology Department and Aquatic and Marine Biology Program
Stetson University
kwork@stetson.edu

B.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1990

M.S., University of Washington School of Fisheries, 1992

Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 1997

Postdoctoral research, South Florida Water Management District, 1998-2000

 

Introductory Biology Laboratory I (BY101L): This laboratory accompanies BY101 General Biology lecture.  It is an      introduction to scientific investigation, cellular processes, and genetics. 

 

Introductory Biology (BY102):  This course presents the second half of the material begun in BY 101.  It is an introduction to evolutionary biology, plant and animal diversity, plant biology, and ecology. 

 

Introductory Biology Laboratory II (BY102L):  This laboratory accompanies BY102 Biology II lecture.  It is an introduction to developmental biology, plant biology, and vertebrate anatomy and physiology.

Biostatistics (formerly BY201):  This course provides an overview of the logistical basics of biological research.  Although much of the semester will be focused on data analysis and interpretation of data, we also will cover hypothesis generation, experimental design, and presentation of research results.  We strongly stress the ability to use computers to manage, analyze, and present data.

Limnology (BY333):  This course examines the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics and processes of inland waters, with an emphasis on conservation of Florida's rich freshwater resources.

 

Conservation Biology (BY444):  This course examines the levels at which biological diversity (genes, species, ecosystems) is measured, current patterns in diversity at each level, the approaches taken to conserving each level, and the problems associated with conservation efforts at each level.  The end of the course will focus on current conservation efforts and the role of human society in conservation biology, a factor that must be considered for conservation efforts to be successful and to endure.

Aquatic conservation, disturbances, and community ecology: Many aquatic communities throughout Florida and the world have been impacted by human activities.  Habitat removal, nutrient additions, deposition of pollutants, additions and deletions of species, and global climate change affect both the composition of aquatic communities and processes within ecosystems.  Concurrent with these human-induced changes are natural disturbances, such as drought, fire, floods, and hurricanes.  I am interested in the effects of natural vs. human-induced disturbances on aquatic communities and food webs, the resiliency of communities to disturbance, and aquatic restoration.

 

Invasions of exotic species: Although species invasions are intimately linked with aquatic conservation, disturbances, and community ecology, invasion ecology presents its own set of interesting questions, problems, and processes.  Many dramatic invasions have occurred within the last few decades, such as the invasion of the zebra mussel into the Great Lakes and its subsequent spread.   It is likely that the occurrence of invasions will increase as communities become more disturbed and connected.   I am interested in the invasibility of ecosystems and the ecological characteristics of invasive species.

 

Work, K.A. and M. Gophen.  1995.  The invasion of Daphnia lumholtzi (Sars) into Lake Texoma (USA).  Archiv für Hydrobiologie 133: 287-303.

Work, K.A. and M. Gophen.  1999.  Experimental analysis of factors that affect the abundance of a reservoir invader, Daphnia lumholtzi (Sars).  Freshwater Biology 41:1-10.

Work, K.A. and M. Gophen.  1999.  The population dynamics of the exotic cladoceran, Daphnia lumholtzi (Sars), in an Oklahoma-Texas reservoir. Hydrobiologia  405: 11-23.

Gido, K.B., Schaefer, J.F., Work, K., Lienesch, P.W., Marsh-Matthews, E., and W.J. Matthews.  1999.  Effects of Red Shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) on Red River pupfish (Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis). Southwestern Naturalist  44: 287-295.

Havens, K.E., Work, K.A., and T.L. East.  2000.  Relative efficiencies of carbon transfer from bacteria and algae to zooplankton in a subtropical lake. Journal of Plankton Research  22: 1801-1809.

Work, K.A. and K.E. Havens.  2002.  Zooplankton grazing on bacteria and cyanobacteria in a eutrophic lake.  Journal of Plankton Research  25: 1301-1307.

Work, K.A, Havens, K.E., Sharfstein, B., and T. East.  2005.  How important is bacterial carbon in the planktonic food web of a turbid, subtropical lake?  J. Plankton Research  27: 357-372.

Cox, S. and K. Work.  Cryptic coloration and shoaling in small fish in a Florida spring.  Submitted to Copeia, May 2005.

Work, K.A., Gibbs, M.A., Peters, B., and L. French.  Fish distribution in a challenging yet stable system, Volusia Blue Spring, Florida.  To be submitted to the Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, Spring 2005.

Work, K.A., East, T.L., Beaver, J., and M. Gophen.  Phenotypic variation in an invader: morphology of US populations of Daphnia lumholtzi.  To be submitted to Freshwater Biology, Spring 2005.

Harmon, K. and K. Work.  Benthic invertebrate response to nutrient filtering flow-way marshes in Emeralda Marsh.  To be submitted to Southeastern Naturalist, Spring 2005.

Sullivan, K., Work, K., and E. Perramond.  Mortality and Distribution of the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus Latirostris) along the Atlantic Coast of Florida.  To be submitted to Southeastern Naturalist, Summer 2005.

Cox, S.M. and K.A. Work.  Cryptic coloration and shoaling in small fish in a Florida spring.  American Society of Ichthyology and Herpetology, Tampa, FL, 2005.

Jacobi, K.K. and K.A. Work.  Cryptic coloration of Lucania parva and Gambusia holbrooki with and without the presence of a predator,          Lepomis macrochirus.  Florida Academy of Science, Orlando, FL, 2003

Krisberg, S.D., Mathias, S., Gibbs, MA., and K.A. Work.  Microhabitat use by fish in Blue Springs (Volusia Co., FL).  American Society of Ichthyology and Herpetology, Kansas City, MO, 2002.

Peters, B.A., Gibbs, M.A., and K.A. Work.  Fish distribution and oxygen gradients in two Florida Springs.  American Society of Ichthyology and Herpetology, State College, PA, 2001.

            East, T. and K. Work.  Cyclomorphosis of an invading cladoceran (Daphnia lumholtzi) in subtropical and temperate US systems, North American Lake Management Society, 2000.

Hand Grant for Course Enhancement, Production of a new BY204, Ecology and Evolution laboratory manual (funded for summer 2005, $2,000 shared with Dr. Cindy Bennington)

US Army Corps of Engineers Contract, Seasonal abundances of zooplankton in two northeastern Oklahoma reservoirs (funded for summer/fall 2002, $2,340).

St. Johns River Water Management District Contract, Upper basin invertebrate survey (funded for winter/spring 2002, $9,580)

Stetson University Summer Research Grant (funded for summer 2001, $4,500)

Society of Ichthyology and Herpetology

Society for Conservation Biology

Southeastern Naturalist

05/06/2005