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Natasha's Research Page

Natasha Gownaris
ngownaris@gmail.com
Cell: 203-505-9084

School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794

Research Interests and Experience

Publications

Presentations

Curriculum Vitae

Research Interests

My broad interests lie in fisheries management and marine conservation. Although the majority of my academic background has consisted of basic science, I have a strong interest in the interplay between marine science and policy. My past research experiences focused on mussel aggregation and primary producer nutrient uptake, respectively. As a graduate student of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, I hope to gain more experience in applied marine science research.

Research Experience
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Aug. 2009-present	I entered Stony Brook University's School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences in the fall of 2009 as a Ph.D. student of Dr. Ellen Pikitch. Dr. Pikitch is the director of the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science (IOCS). Since joining IOCS I have helped to develop a proposal for research on extreme marine conservation measures (e.g. live gene banks, cryopreservation) and have been an active member of the IOCS forage fish group, a working group of the Lenfest Forage Fish Task Force. My research with Dr. Pikitch will likely relate to the use of ecosystem-based fishery management as a marine conservation tool. Institute for Ocean Conservation Science Webpage
Gettysburg College Sept. 2005-May 2009	My research at Gettysburg College, advised by Dr. John Commito, focused on the factors influencing aggregation of the common blue mussel, Mytilus edulis. For this research, I conducted numerous laboratory experiments in Maine and used GIS and Benoit software for fractal dimension analyses of the resulting mussel aggregations. Undergraduate Thesis Manuscript John Commito's Webpage
Virginia Institute of Marine Science May 2008-Aug. 2008	As a Research Experience for Undergraduates intern at VIMS, I worked under Dr. Mark Brush on the nitrogen uptake dynamics of Chesapeake Bay primary producers. I conducted laboratory experiments using stable isotopes to validate the nutrient uptake rates used in primary producer models, as multi-species assemblages may mean that Michaelis-Menten uptake kinetics do not apply due to competitive interactions between species. Mark Brush's Webpage

Publications

Commito, J.A., Commito A.E., Platt R.V., Grupe, B.M., Dow, W.E., Gownaris N.J., Reeves, K.A. and Vissichelli, A.M. Self-organization in soft-bottom mussel beds. In preparation.

Commito, J.A., Gownaris, N.J., Bates D., Coleman, S. Spatial threat response in a marine bivalve: mussels self-organize into fractal aggregations. In preparation.

Presentations
Atlantic Estuarine Research Society Meetings	Gownaris, N.G. and Brush, M.J.	2008	Poster: Nutrient uptake dynamics of macroalgae and phytoplankton in shallow marine systems.
Bentic Ecology Meetings	Gownaris, N.G. and Commito, A.E.	2008	Poster: Spatial threat response in a marine bivalve: mussels self-organize into fractal aggregations.

If you'd like more information on my education and research experiences, please take a look at my Curriculum Vitae.

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Page Updated April, 2010