Cary Lopez
Name
Cary Lopez
Position
Associate Research Scientist
Section
Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration – Harmful Algal Blooms
Education
M.S. in Marine Sciences, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
B.S. in Biology and Marine Science, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
Research Interests
Phytoplankton ecology and harmful algal bloom dynamics
Current Activity
My work focuses on ecological and life history aspects of the toxic dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense. I am interested in characterizing factors that underlie variability in P. bahamense abundance and how these factors interact to influence large scale bloom dynamics. For example, P. bahamense forms a resting stage as part of its life cycle, so one research focus of mine has been to investigate environmental factors that influence life cycle transitions because these transitions are important for bloom recurrence and seasonality.