Morgan Vis
Professor
Ph.D., Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1995
Freshwater Algal Ecology and EvolutionPorter Hall 400
740 593 1134Other Websites
Faculty Research Focus Areas
Phylogenetic Systematics
Eastern Deciduous Forest Ecology
Courses
PBIO 103 (Plants and People)
PBIO 307/507 (Morphology of Algae and Bryophytes)
PBIO 313/693 (Algal Biology for Engineers)
PBIO 420/520 (Phycology)
Global Studies in Plant Biology
Departmental Service
Genomics Facility, Faculty Mentor
Research Program Summary
The two primary research foci of this laboratory are systematics and biogeography of freshwater red algae and impacts of acid mine drainage on stream periphyton communities in southeastern Ohio. In our studies of freshwater red algae, we employ a combination of field research and molecular DNA techniques for systematic and phylogeographic research. At present we are concentrating our efforts on collections of taxa from the Southern Hemisphere through a grant from the National Science Foundation. Our studies of the effects of acid mine drainage (AMD) in streams is an effort to understand how the various chemical and physical impacts effect the algal community. We have recently started collaborations with other researchers at Ohio University who study impacts of AMD on other aquatic life and hydrogeology of these streams in order to contribute to a more complete understanding of this pollution on the ecosystem as part of an EPA STAR grant. Lastly, we collaborate with colleagues in mechanical engineering using thermophillic cyanobacteria for CO2 remediation and the use of algae for production of biodiesel.
Selected References
Smucker, N.J., DeForest, J.L. & Vis, M.L. Improving consistency: Comparing methods for measuring epilithic extracellular enzyme activities in lotic biofilms and storage duration effects. Hydrobiologia (in press September 2009).
Necchi, O. Jr., Vis, M.L. & Oliveira, M.C. 2010. Phylogenetic relationships in Kumanoa (Batrachospermales, Rhodophyta) species in Brazil with the proposal of Kumanoa amazonensis sp. nov. Phycologia (in press March issue).
Zalack, J.T., Smucker, N.J. & Vis, M.L. Development of a diatom index of biotic integrity for acid mine drainage impacted streams. Ecological Indicators (in press June 2009).
Smucker, N.J. & Vis, M.L. 2009. Using diatoms to assess agricultural and coal mining impacts on streams, and a multi-assemblage case study. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 28: 659-675.
Stancheva, R. & Vis, M.L. 2009. Notes on distribution of Batrachospermum arcuatum and B. gelatinosum (Batrachospermales, Rhodophyta) in Bulgaria. – In: Ivanova, D. (ed.), Plant, fungal and habitat diversity investigation and conservation. Proceedings of IV Balkan Botanical Congress, Sofia, 20–26 June 2006. Pp. 128–133. Institute of Botany, Sofia. ISBN 978-954-9746-14-3.
Vis, M.L. & Kapustin D.A. 2009. Batrachospermum keratophytum Bory emend.
R.G. Sheath, M.L. Vis et K.M. Cole, A new freshwater red algal species for Ukraine. Algologia 19: 226-229.
Entwisle, T.J, Vis, M.L., Chiasson, W.B., Necchi, O. Jr. & Sherwood, A.R. 2009. Systematics of the Batrachospermales – A Synthesis. Journal of Phycology 45: 704-715.
Current and Recent Student Research Projects
Systematics and revision of the genus Kumanoa
Phylogeography of Batrachospermum gelatinosum in North America
Phylogeography of Tuomeya americana in North America
Development of algal indices that are tailored to biomonitoring acid mine drainage pollution
Diatom community structure and function downstream of acid mine drainage mitigation
Optimization of microalgae systems for CO2 mitigation and biofuel production