Photo taken by Nicole Rappuhn.
Visit my page on the Geomicrobiology Website here!
I’m Helena S. Nitschky, a graduate student in Dr. Gregory Dick’s Geomicrobiology Laboratory at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
I study the invisible microbial communities that influence water quality within aquatic ecosystems. Using genetics, field sampling, and microscopy, I investigate the conditions that promote the growth of bloom-forming taxa capable of producing toxins, like the notable cyanobacteria Microcystis sp. which dominates Lake Erie, MI, each year. As climate change renders the planet’s waters more unpredictable, I aim to provide understanding into ways to better safeguard and mitigate the threat harmful blooms pose to the natural balance within these complex freshwater systems, such as the Great Lakes.
I like to document the beauty of the planet one species at a time, as I find immense value in the significance of learning the names of your local neighbors, whether they’re plants, animals, birds, or even microbes. Check out my work on species identification on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/people/helena_nitschky
<aside> <img src="/icons/moon_lightgray.svg" alt="/icons/moon_lightgray.svg" width="40px" /> University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
I am a Master's student at the University of Michigan (UM) in Ann Arbor. I am co-advised by Dr. Gregory Dick in Michigan's Geomicrobiology Laboratory and Dr. Reagan Errera at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL).
M.S. in Earth & Environmental Sciences
University of Michigan, In Progress
B.S. in Earth & Environmental Sciences
University of Michigan, 2022
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MY ADVISORS
https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0001-5802-1259
**@helenanitschky**
OCRID iD: 0000-0001-5802-1259
**[email protected]**
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
I respectfully acknowledge that Ann Arbor, MI occupies the ancestral homelands of the Meškwahki·aša·hina (Fox), Peoria, Anishinabewaki, and Bodéwadmiakiwen (Potawatomi) peoples. The Ojibwe (Chippewa), Odawa (Ottawa), and Bodéwadmiakiwen (Potawatomi) allowed for the creation of the University of Michigan. I honor their enduring connection to this land. Who's land are you on?
