I have been studying freshwater and marine ecosystems for over 30 years--the tropics, the arctic, but mostly the temperate region. My area of expertise is primarily focused on heterotrophic bacteria and ecological stoichiometry. I work with individual strains and communities of ecologically relevant microbes in the laboratory as well as in the field. I feel that understanding gained in the lab can help generate understanding and questions that can be addressed in the field and vice versa.