Creeks and Geeks Lab
Creek Geeks Laboratory is the place to learn about stream ecology and the effects we can have on these amazing ecosystems. Our name truly describes how we blend technology with old-fashioned field biology to answer relevant questions.
Mandee Wilson oversees the laboratory and much of the research which gives students ready access to direction and assistance to keep their projects moving.
Our philosophy is to give everyone a chance to get hands on experience with research that is interesting to them. We have funded research ongoing and often pay for help on those projects; but we also encourage students to ask their own questions and conduct their original research separate from the funded projects.
Ongoing research in the lab includes evaluating different aspects of mining disturbances such as the effects of total dissolved solids on benthic macroinvertebrate communities and the effects of selenium on fish communities. We are also working on culturing sensitive mayfly taxa as a potential test organism for measuring the effects of disturbance.
Our facilities and resources include a wet lab equipped for water chemistry analysis, stream mesocosms for conducting laboratory research, in-house cultures of toxicity testing organisms, algal culturing facilities, benthic macroinvertebrate and fish identification resources, and a full complement of field sampling and monitoring equipment.
In a separate, more secure laboratory, we also have Creek Geeks researching the invasive species, Prymnesium parvum. This organism, the golden algae, produces toxins responsible for fish kills across the globe. We are evaluating novel methods to control the algae and studying the role of environmental conditions on toxin production. This fully equipped laboratory is also available for Creek Geeks research.