Research Themes

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The Graduate Program

Research Themes

The research strengths of the Aquatic Biology Program are systematics, evolution and ecology of freshwater biota and freshwater habitats. Alabama rivers, streams, and wetlands harbor some of the greatest biodiversity of fish, mollusks, and turtles anywhere in North America. Consequently, one focal point UA has chosen for education and training is biodiversity and the linkages between diversity and ecosystem processes. Other interdisciplinary opportunities also exist with our NSF sponsored IGERT (link to www.as.ua.edu/igert) (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training) program which supports Ph. D. students interested in interdisciplinary studies linking aquatic ecology/systematics, hydrology, and geochemistry. Graduate research fellowships are available for students interested in either IGERT or biodiversity/ecosystem studies.

Research programs in systematics and taxonomy incorporate morphological and molecular approaches and focus on evolutionary relationships of species, speciation, biogeography, and historical ecology. Ecological research programs cover a broad spectrum of approaches, including physiological, population, community, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem ecology. The Aquatic Biology Program maintains interdisciplinary research ties with other departments at UA such as Geography and Geology, Civil Engineering and with colleagues at other universities.

UAs Marine Sciences Program is housed at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, an independently functioning campus operated by the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium. Marine research programs focus on broad areas of marine ecology and interdisciplinary oceanography of the estuarine, coastal, and continental shelf environments. Graduate degrees in Marine Science are awarded through joint study in the Department of Biological Sciences and a research residency at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Additional information on marine faculty interests may be obtained by writing to Coordinator, The University of Alabama Marine Science Graduate Program, P. O. Box 369, Dauphin Island, AL 36528.