Education:

BA Conservation & Environmental Science, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (2006)

MS University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (2012)
Thesis: Freshwater phytoplankton populations detected using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) of taxon-specific pigments

PhD University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (09/13-Present)

Positions held:

Graduate Research Assistant: UW-Milwaukee, Phytoplankton Ecology Laboratory

Teaching Assistant: UW-Milwaukee (Introduction to Biological Sciences; Plankton Biology; Limnology II; Marine Seaweeds; Anatomy and Physiology)

Adjunct Instructor: Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (Introduction to Biology; Environmental Literacy)

Publications:

Simmons, L. J., C. D. Sandgren & J. A. Berges. Pigment analyses fail to distinguish Lake Michigan phytoplankton taxa: a comparison of microscopy and high pressure liquid chromatography. J. Great Lakes Res. submitted.

Conference presentation:

Simmons, L.J., C.D. Sandgren, J.A. Berges, and P.M. Engevold. 2009. Winners and losers: herbivore transformation of lake phytoplankton communities through size selective mortality and growth rate enhancement. Ecological Society of America Annual Conference. Albuquerque, NM.

Simmons, L.J., C.D. Sandgren, J.A. Berges, and P.M. Engevold. 2010. Application of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for interpretation of nutrient phytoplankton-zooplankton interactions in the Great Lakes. International Association of Great Lakes Research Annual Conference. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Simmons, L.J., C.D. Sandgren, J.A. Berges, and P.M. Engevold. 2011. Interpreting phytoplankton seasonal dynamics in the Great Lakes: application of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). International Association of Great Lakes Research Annual Conference. Duluth, MN.

Simmons, L.J., C.D. Sandgren, and J.A. Berges. 2013. Estimating phytoplankton taxonomic composition using pigment-based methods: illustrating limitations using Lake Michigan datasets. Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography Aquatic Sciences Meeting. New Orleans, LA.

Research interests:

I am interested in the interactions of phytoplankton and zooplankton in freshwater systems. Previously I have looked at natural phytoplankton populations in Lake Michigan to understand their seasonal dynamics using HPLC techniques to assess community changes. Currently I am studying algal cell mortality in in a local urban pond. Cell mortality, though a natural process, can be exacerbated by environmental stress, as well as light or nutrient limitation. My primary focus is looking at the community within a local urban pond to identify species of interest and investigate their environmental thresholds for survival and possible allelopathic interactions. By identifying these interactions and understanding thresholds for individual species, mathematical models can be developed to aid in the predicting of community composition under varying conditions, potentially highlighting the troublesome species under these conditions.