MMS Events

Schedule

5:30-6:30 pm    Social and Dinner

6:30-7:30 pm    Speaker: David Burge, Ph.D.  Phytoplankton Associate Scientist with the UMN Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute, presents Through the lens of the frustule

Abstract:   Diatoms are central to freshwater biomonitoring and environmental history, yet their utility depends on precise taxonomic identification and reliable imaging workflows. This presentation explores how high-resolution light and scanning electron microscopy underpin aquatic research across multiple scales—from regional monitoring to emerging molecular methodologies.

We will examine modern biomonitoring initiatives across U.S. National Parks and the Laurentian Great Lakes, alongside applied paleolimnological core studies, such as work on Red Lake, that inform long-term water quality management and historical baseline targets. Because long-term monitoring datasets require taxonomic consistency, we will address educational frameworks and analyst training through resources like Diatoms.org, the Diatom Taxonomic Certification Committee, and the Diatom Web Academy. Finally, we will look toward the future of diatom research: bridging classical morphology with eDNA studies using single-cell isolation to populate reference sequence libraries, and exploring resurrection ecology from resting stages in sediment records.

Speaker Bio:   David R.L. Burge, PhD, is a phytoplankton researcher, paleolimnologist, and diatom taxonomist with the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota and the St. Croix Watershed Research Station of the Science Museum of Minnesota. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Iowa, where he teaches the Ecology and Systematics of Diatoms course at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory.

His research uses light and scanning electron microscopy to study diatom systematics, track historical environmental changes, and support freshwater management in Midwestern watersheds. He serves on the Editorial Review Board for Diatoms of North America (diatoms.org) and on the Diatom Taxonomic Certification Committee, where he has co-hosted the Diatom Web Academy for five years. His published work includes species descriptions, research on diatom life history and polymorphism, and paleolimnological sediment reconstructions.