Nitrogen Cycling, Phytoplankton Dynamics, Microbial Ecology, Dissolved Organic Material Cycling
Research Interests Dr. Mulholland works on various aspects of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in aquatic systems. The biogeochemical cycling of these elements affects the ecology of microbes in marine and estuarine systems. Particular aspects of these cycles being investigated in her laboratory include the uptake and regeneration of specific N and C compounds by a variety of pathways involving phytoplankton and bacteria. Currently studies are being undertaken to investigate marine N2 fixation and the trophic transfer of recently fixed N2; dissolved organic material cycling in estuarine systems differentially affected by algal blooms; H2S production by oceanic phytoplankton and bacteria; and nutrient competition among planktonic mixotrophs in estuaries.
